The Sunday Mail
Lovemore Makurirofa
OCTOBER is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
During this month, we encourage individuals to wear pink clothes and/or ribbons to show that they are aware of breast cancer.
Remember, we all have a role to play in fighting breast cancer.
The Cancer Association of Zimbabwe (CAZ)’s theme, “Give Hope – Save Lives!”, is in line with the global 2020 World Cancer Day theme, “I am and I will”, which inculcates the “yes, we can” philosophy in people’s mind.
Yes, we can win our battle against cancer and we should be optimistic to sustain the fighting spirit within us.
Individuals and communities should give hope to those diagnosed with cancer rather than stigmatise them.
CAZ encourages people to know more about breast cancer in order to counter widespread myths, misconceptions, stigma and discrimination.
CAZ’s 2020 breast cancer campaign – “Think Pink” — encourages all of us, cancer patients and those without cancer, to unite and give hope to breast cancer patients.
Policymakers should prioritise breast cancer and avail accessible and affordable breast cancer management services such as screening and treatment.
It is only through our united efforts that we will be able to create and sustain hope for breast cancer patients, and ultimately win our battle against breast cancer in Zimbabwe.
This year’s theme also encourages those diagnosed with breast cancer to keep fighting and not lose hope despite the current challenges being experienced in accessing affordable cancer management services in the country.
Corporates should organise a day during which all their employees wear pink and educate each other on breast cancer at workplaces.
Churches and other institutions can also do the same.
Lovemore Makurirofa is the information, research and evaluation officer at Cancer Association of Zimbabwe.
