By Abubakarr Bah
A nonprofit organization in Sierra Leone, Thinking Pink Breast Cancer Foundation has started a one-month-long campaign against breast cancer. The anti-breast cancer campaign which is being supported by Access Bank aims to raise awareness about the significance on early detection of the disease.
The Project Coordinator of the Foundation, Helen Emma Simbo told Politico that her Foundation was formed by a group of women in Sierra Leone with the object to eradicate or minimize breast cancer in the country. Madam Simbo said women were the most vulnerable to cancer and as such they decided to form the organization to educate women and girls about early detection, cure and prevention. She said her organization had so far succeeded in rescuing about 200 women who either had had cancer or their case had been detected early and forestalled. She said her organization would be embarking on a tour across the country to raise the awareness.
Pathologist at the Faculty of Nursing at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS), Dr. Owiss Koroma described cancer as a dangerous disease that could wipe out an entire family. He said cancer was not a restrictive disease but one that affected both male and female, adding that women were the most vulnerable. Dr Koroma said the only difference between the two sexes was that men were infected with prostate cancer. He called on women suffering from breast pain or related complications to report to their doctor or visit the Thinking Pink Breast Cancer Foundation for urgent attention.
Head of Non Communicable Diseases and Mental Health of the Ministry of Health, Dr.Andrew Muana said the disease was caused mostly by cardiovascular diseases or a combination of many non-communicable diseases that affect the heart like hypertension and stress, among others. Quoting the World Health Organization, he said out of 57 million deaths worldwide, 36 million were caused by non-communicable diseases. He said if this was not controlled by 2030, 47 trillion US Dollars would be needed to combat the epidemic.
