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Health Ministry to take breast cancer awareness to the streets today

Oct 23, 2010 News

Early detection in order to improve breast cancer outcome and survival remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Breast Cancer Awareness Month is being observed with an emphasis on reducing its impact. And the local Ministry of Health will today take awareness efforts to the streets in the form of a Breast Cancer Awareness Walk. The walk will kick off at 07:00 hours at the Umana Yana and end at the City Mall.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, comprising 16 percent of all female cancers. It is estimated that 519,000 women died in 2004 due to breast cancer, and although breast cancer is thought to be a disease of the developed world, a majority, amounting to about 69 percent of all breast cancer deaths occurs in developing countries.
The increasing adoption of western life-style in low- and middle-income countries is an important determinant in the increase of breast cancer incidence as well. WHO promotes breast cancer control within the context of comprehensive national cancer control programmes that are integrated to non-communicable diseases and other related problems.
According to Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, Guyana records between 70 and 80 cases of breast cancer each year, a situation which remains a concern to the Ministry of Health.
Breast cancer, he said, is the number one cancer here which affects women. It ranks closely to cervical cancer, thus there is an urgent need to elevate awareness programmes, the Minister added.
Since the commencement of this month, awareness efforts have been amplified locally which is designated breast cancer awareness month. The Ministry of Health has been working in collaboration with the AVON Group to promote awareness but according to Minister Ramsammy “we are also training people across the country in self-breast examination.”
And given the importance of self-breast examination he disclosed that it is the desire of the Ministry to make this practice a part of parenting so that all young girls could be encouraged to examine their own breasts.
But according to the Minister, he is still not satisfied that the Ministry has been able to train enough people at a fast enough pace.
“I am still not satisfied that the health centres are actually including breast examination in a way that would ensure that every young woman gets access….Those are the things we will try to do this year.” In this regard, Minister Ramsammy said that mammography is one important move that the Ministry intends to utilise to help address the problem.
He asserted that although mammograms are not readily accepted and utilised by some countries, he is confident that the move is necessary. “Even in America they concede that every woman above 50 should have mammograms…So I am still working on that universally,” he asserted.

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