Breast cancer awareness should be year-round program

OCTOBER is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as designated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

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The month is spent creating awareness, honouring the millions of lives affected by breast cancer and reaffirming the global commitment to equitable access to care and improved survival for all.

This year, the theme of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is; 'Every Story is Unique, Every Journey Matters'.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. In 2022, approximately 2.3 million women were diagnosed and another 670,000 died from the disease.

According to the WHO, while the five-year survival rates in high-income countries exceeds 90%, the figures drop to 66% in India and 40% in South Africa. These disparities are driven by unequal access to early detection, timely diagnosis and effective treatment. If the current trend continues, the incidence and mortality are projected to rise by 40% by 2050; hence the need for urgent and coordinated action. Indeed, where a woman lives should not determine whether she survives, the world health body states.