IAC spotlights Breast Cancer Awareness

The Indian Action (formerly Arrival) Committee (IAC) will be collaborating with the Cancer Institute of Guyana and Texilla American University (TAU) to host a Cancer Awareness and Health Fair on 31 October, 2015, in support of Cancer Awareness Month.

According to a press release from the IAC they will be hosting the event at their offices located at 1762 Railway Embankment, Cummings Lodge commencing from 10:00am and concluding at 1:00pm

The organisation is focussed on raising the public’s awareness of the chronic and indiscriminate nature of Breast Cancer and the necessity to identify and address symptoms at an early stage. They shared details from an International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) report which indicated that it is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in 140 of 184 countries worldwide and showed a sharp increase globally in 2014.

The IARC report also disclosed that since 2008, estimates reveal an increase of more than 20 percent in cases identified and a 14 percent rise in deaths.

It also highlighted that in 2012 breast cancer was detected in 1.7 million women with 522,000 deaths; and 6.3 million women who had been diagnosed in the previous five years were alive.

The IAC said that this is the first time the organisation will be participating in a health outreach programme and encourages the public to take advantage of the services that will be provided free of cost. Doctors, nurses and consultations from the Cancer Institute of Guyana and TAU students will be offering a variety of services including Blood Pressure and Blood Glucose testing, Blood Mass Index and Dental Checks, also distributing brochures and flyers on mammograms, diabetes, hypertension, alcohol and tobacco use.