The Ministry of Health (MOH) has launched the Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA) Campaign this year under the theme: “You Are Life… Screen and Reassure Us”. The campaign comes within the framework of the Kingdom’s participation in the global celebration of breast cancer awareness month, which is observed in October of each year. “Thanks to Allah, a decrease has been noticed in the breast cancer mortality rate in the developed countries since 1990; due to their implementation of the early detection programs, as the cure rate amounts up to 97%,” said the MOH. It went on saying that the MOH’s campaign is characterized this year with being as part of the unified regional campaign, which is the first of its kind in the Arab world; with a view to unifying the efforts and the message addressed to the Arabian woman to encourage her to put herself highest on her priority list and conduct early detection tests for breast cancer. Several Arab countries and charitable associations, concerned with the field of public health and cancer, participate in this campaign that has been prepared through several workshops during this year.
The Ministry has pointed out that it will implement a tractive awareness idea, in terms of preparing a remarkable educational vehicle wandering all over the Kingdom’s regions. The vehicle, which will be marked with some promotional and educational phrases for breast cancer, will be found at the mass-gathering places to educate the ladies therein, meanwhile containing awareness publications and a model of mammography to encourage ladies to conduct early detection tests for breast cancer. The MOH’s campaign also include several activities, awareness programs, lectures and exhibitions, in addition to places for conducting mammography screening, given that a high-quality service will be offered by a medical team, qualitative-trained at the global training standards.
It is well known that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and in the Kingdom at a rate of 28% to other types in women and at a rate of 13% to other types in both genders, let alone it is the second leading cause of cancer death in women.
“Breast cancer incidence rates continue to increase in all countries. According to studies, it is expected that the rate of incidence will increase during the coming twenty years up to four times in the Middle East,” the MOH stated. It added that the targeted group includes all society strata, especially women aged (18-60 years).
Furthermore, the MOH underlined that the general objectives and messages include awareness against breast cancer causes, ways of prevention, and awareness about the ways of early detection by breast self-examination, as well as underscoring the importance of early detection tests (e.g. Mammography screening) to help women detect any abnormal changes.