Nigerian Man Invents Breast Cancer-Detecting Bra

Nigerian man invents breast cancer-detecting bra to meet the need of rural women.

The primary school teacher, who is identified as Idris Dangana, said the innovation would help people with little or no access to medical facilities.

According to the 43-year-old Kano native, he decided to quit his job to learn computer and software development skills before the desire to do something more impactful with the skill came into his mind.

While narrating, Dangana said his interest in discovering a breast cancer detector came to mind after his friend, Isah, who had just returned from Burum Burum Village in Kano, told him about a woman who had just died from breast cancer.

Idris said the story reminded him of the pains his sister went through when she had breast cancer. Fortunately, she survived it. This spurred him to seek a solution.

Idris, a graduate of physics education, started researching cancer and set up BCScan, an innovation of the DiceHub (DIHub), which is behind the cancer-detecting device they would later come up with.

He added that he collaborated with some doctors, trying out different models and algorithms

“We joined hands and talked on possible partnerships with a local NGO on breast cancer, and we deepened our search about this deadly cancer by asking as many women in our network, including healthcare professionals. The feedback was scary,” he told Daily Trust of his project.

Their solution Idris came up with was a brassier, fitted with Artificial Intelligence, that could detect tumours that are as small as 2mm in diameter.

The wearable device would guarantee early detection, Idris Dangana said and is especially targeted at women in rural areas with limited access to health care and the prohibitive cost of mammography.

Dangana noted that mass production of the device is a big challenge in Nigeria, and because of that, he decided to seek collaboration abroad.

“We out-sourced to India and China to get the materials that we will use for manufacturing the cancer-detecting device produced,” he said.

Idris explained that with his invention, women could be tested for as low as N1, 000 if the device is available at primary healthcare facilities and private hospitals nationwide, but those who want a personalized device would have to pay N15, 000 – N25, 000.

He said: “It is evident that the gap is too wide between Africa and the rest of the world, particularly Nigeria and the northern region to be precise. Though we are still learning, I believe, over time, the impact could be felt and will serve as a wakeup call to many to co-join and change the narratives.”