Local breast cancer group plugging access for all women to mammograms

By Oluatoyin Alleyne

Members of the local Avon Breast Cancer committee are hoping that through their advocacy public health policies will be introduced that will see women being provided with access to mammograms and breast cancer treatment, regardless of their income.

This is just one of the many aims the committee has for this year as it launches its third annual Avon Breast Cancer Week of activities set to start this Sunday. The activities are being held in collaboration with the parent company’s Breast Cancer Awareness Crusade and its Community Help Fund.

Speaking at the launching, Mignon Bowen, one of the many women who are volunteering their service to keep the committee alive, yesterday stated that their week of activities “will widen out public outreach programmes to raise the awareness of this disease among women in Guyana and promote the use of breast self-examination as a method for early detection.”

According to Bowen since her committee came into existence in 2006 its members have continually provided information for women to become more aware of breast cancer and it is hoped that their work would have resulted in early detection and access to treatment and care.
In fact, she said her members have been going to many areas throughout the country making presentations and they have since been approached by persons who have said that their work was the catalyst for their interventions where family members were affected by the disease.

Members of the Avon Breast Awareness Committee at yesterday’s press conference. From left are Juditha De Costa, Melissa Mars, Mignon Bowen, Bibi Hassan and Adunni Orderson.
Members of the Avon Breast Awareness Committee at yesterday’s press conference. From left are Juditha De Costa, Melissa Mars, Mignon Bowen, Bibi Hassan and Adunni Orderson.

Bowen said that they have a model which they use during their presentation and this has helped to get the message across. However, they are hoping that with the arrival soon of some DVDs on breast cancer their presentations would make a further impact. She said a lot of women and even men have been approaching them to get more information and they further assist by sharing out doorknob hangers which have all the information a women needs when doing a self-examination of her breast.

Bowen said they have been very involved in the work being done in the area of breast cancer by the Ministry of Health and they have had major roles in events such as health fairs. The members also played roles at a fair organised by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and at theatrical productions and local churches.

“These public outreach programmes provided us with opportunities to address a number of concerns, demonstrate the breast self-examination method, encourage affected individuals to visit their healthcare providers and further take responsibility for their own well being,” Bowen said.
One of the important activities for this year is the launching of the pink ribbon in secondary schools while informing the students about breast cancer.

Meanwhile, the government was urged to provide more resources to educate healthcare workers in the communities to better serve citizens. Bowen said that the clinical breast examination must become a routine check for every woman who visits a neighbourhood health clinic or hospital.

This year the committee’s week of activities will include a church service on Sunday at the Central Assembly of God Church at Church and East streets and this will be followed on Monday by the Pink Ribbon launch at a secondary school to be announced. Later that same day Avon representatives will conduct a tree-wrapping activity on Camp Street between Lamaha and Middle streets.

On Wednesday the committee will host a symposium at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel from 5 pm for women of all ages followed on Thursday by the Avon International Day to wear pink in support of breast cancer survivors and raising awareness. On Friday afternoon Avon representatives will distribute breast self-examination doorknob hangers in the Stabroek Market area.

Saturday will see the committee holding its second annual fitness walk under the theme ‘We walk as one.’ The sale of t-shirts during the walk is expected to raise funds towards the committee’s education and awareness programmes countrywide. The walk starts and ends at Parade Ground but the route is expected to be announced later.

A number of corporate entities have been funding the work of the committee.