Screen For Life, Qatar’s National Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening programme operated by the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), will launch a ‘Put Yourself First’ Breast Cancer Awareness campaign next month as part of International Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The aim of the month-long campaign is to educate and raise awareness on the importance of early detection of breast cancer in Qatar and to promote early screening for breast cancer with a mammogram test being free for all women in Qatar aged 45-69 years.
Women take care of everyone around them; family, husband, kids and work. This big responsibility leaves no time for women to take care of themselves. Accordingly, the campaign tagline ‘Put Yourself First’ was a direct call for action asking ladies to think of themselves as a priority especially when it comes to their health. In October, ‘Screen For Life’ will conduct lectures, undertake training for physicians, operate a mobile screening unit and mount information booths in malls and health centres while implementing social media contests and awareness campaigns to promote the early screening message.
Women in Qatar will also qualify for free screening at any of the three PHCC screening suites at Al Wakra, Leabaib and Rawdat Al Khail health centres. They need to make a prior appointment, which can be done by calling the dedicated call centre at 8001112.
“Early detection of breast cancer is vital as it can lead to up to 100% survival rate,” explained Dr Shaikha Abu Shaikha, manager, Screening Programmes at PHCC. “Women in the age range 45-69 years should take advantage of the screening opportunity even if they don’t have symptoms.
Raising awareness of breast cancer is a year-round ‘Screen For Life’ objective. For this one month we are asking women to put themselves first and take the time to get screened they can also help us spread the message of early screening and set an example to the younger generation.”
Source:gulf-times.com
