Renowned Nigerian entertainer and social crusader, Charles Oputa, popularly known as CharlyBoy, has unveiled a nationwide campaign aimed at raising awareness on prostate cancer among men.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Saturday, CharlyBoy revealed that the initiative is being spearheaded by the CharlyBoy Foundation, a nonprofit organisation committed to spotlighting men’s health challenges, with a particular focus on mental health, diabetes, and prostate health.
The outspoken advocate, who recently won his battle against prostate cancer, emphasized the urgency of the campaign, lamenting that many men are silently suffering due to the stigma and lack of awareness around prostate-related illnesses.
According to him, the campaign is not just a health drive but a mission rooted in personal experience and empathy.
“We are in the middle of a silent epidemic as many of our men are dying in silence because they don’t talk about their health.
“Most men shy away from taking good care of their mental and physical health, but as I share my experience they too can be more health conscious as they age in life.
“Let me just say in the twilight of my life, this is what I want to do because I see the pains men are going through just because of something they fail to do to avoid going through pain,” he said.
CharlyBoy also decried the impact of poverty on healthcare access, stating that many only seek medical attention when their condition becomes critical.
“Because of too much poverty in the land, people will get sick and it’s only when they are broken down that they decide to go to the hospital.
“My own goal is to create awareness, talk to as many men as I possibly can, and create the needed awareness and, you know, dragging men out of their cocoons,” he added.
Having spent decades championing various social causes, CharlyBoy now feels compelled to confront the silent crisis plaguing men’s health in Nigeria.
Fondly referred to as Areafada, he said surviving prostate cancer gave him a renewed purpose to educate men and break the silence surrounding the disease.
The CharlyBoy Foundation, he said, has rolled out mobile screening units to underserved communities, staged public awareness events, and established partnerships with medical laboratories to bring testing closer to people in remote areas.
He called on Nigerians of means, both within the country and abroad, to support the foundation’s mission, either financially or through volunteering.
“We are advocating for regular checkup, and those who write to us, we are always encouraging them by taking care of parts of their bills.
“Besides my podcasts, we have set up different social groups, utilising social media tools and the foundation website to provide information and opportunities for engagement with us.
“I know in most families, they must have had a relative that has gone through the process and they know how it could be, so we are calling for everybody to bring their widow’s mite.
“It is not just about money, it is also about volunteering because we need more hands on deck to expand our scope of operation.
“Men are going through quite a lot and that is why there is absence of very good men out there, and many are not in their form to take charge, to protect and provide.
“So men’s general health is something that needs all of our attention, and we need to act now,” he urged.
Adding further insight into the foundation’s efforts, the Chief Executive Officer of the CharlyBoy Foundation, Dr. Doris Udenzi-Davis, disclosed that more than 500 men have benefitted from the free screening services so far.
She noted that the foundation has been actively working with healthcare providers and community-based volunteer groups to host outreach programmes, especially in rural communities, where they offer free testing and health education.
“We are funding the test 100 per cent because that is what we can afford for now, and that is why we are soliciting for funds.
“We are referring those who come to us to urologists, and our intention is to assist in paying for their treatment, but we can’t do that right now because we don’t have funds for it yet,” she said.
Dr. Udenzi-Davis explained that their grassroots approach includes collaborating with local organisations, who help identify those in need and link them to nearby labs, thanks to the foundation’s partnerships with diagnostic centres across Nigeria.
“The CharlyBoy Foundation is reaching out to Nigerians to come support with what they can donate; we have somebody who has donated catheters to us that we can send to doctors.
“We want to save our men, and it is not a job we can do ourselves alone; so we are calling on all well-meaning Nigerians, no matter how little you can give, no matter how big you can give.
“We are also calling on government agencies both at the federal and state levels to also come partner with us so that we can help our men,” she appealed.