The Assistant Deputy Minister for Primary Health Care, Dr. Mohammad Basulaiman, underscored the importance of the role and effect of October, 2013 breast cancer awareness campaign for the National Campaign for Early Detection of Breast Cancer. It targeted women in public areas such as shopping malls, Princess Norah University, which is reckoned the biggest academic female hub. The number of women who were tested reached more than 1200 women.
During the honorary ceremony held yesterday at the Grand Auditorium of MOH headquarter; Dr. Basulaiman gave a speech, in which he demonstrated that this campaign has provided awareness services about early detection of breast cancer; in order to reduce the incidence and mortality associated with the disease, and improve the results of therapeutic intervention. The campaign, also, offered mammography examination services in the mobile clinics to target women and encourage them to conduct the examination.
Dr. Basulaiman has expressed his gratitude to His Excellency the Minister of Health, and the Vice Minister for Health Affairs for their great support; which contributed to the success of the breast cancer combat campaign. In addition, he expressed his thanks to the employees of the Non-Communicable Diseases General Department, wishing everyone success in doing their duties and serving citizens of this country.
For his part, the Director-General of Non-Communicable Diseases, Dr. Mohammed bin Yahya Sa'eedi, praised the success of October, 2013 breast cancer awareness campaign; which contributed to raising awareness about breast cancer. He demonstrated that the campaign was able to educate more than 18.000 women of different age groups about risk factors that may increase the chances of infection, prevention methods, importance of early detection, especially via mammogram devices; that is considered the best available method for the early detection of breast cancer.
Dr. Sa'eedi went on to add that those efforts resulted in an increasing turnout of women of all different age groups in general and women over 40 in particular. The turnout was greater for the mammogram breast examination. That involves an effective protective value; as the programme was able to educate more than 18.000 women of different age groups.
Moreover, Dr. Sa'eedi pointed out that breast cancer is considered one of the most common types of cancer among women. Breast cancer is curable; as the survival rates may reach more than 95% once it is detected at an early stage; which is the target of our program; (Breast cancer is curable once it is detected at an early stage).
“The closing ceremony of this campaign, launched under the theme: 'wear pink', is a sign of winning the breast cancer battle, by the grace of Allah in the first place, and thanks to the efforts of the concerned, the patients’ strong will, as well as the increasing awareness that reinforces bravery, longevity and wellbeing,” Dr. Saeedi said. Moreover, he expressed his sincere thanks to all of those who prepared and carried out the campaign, including the campaign’s director, the supervisor of the National Campaign for Early Detection of Breast Cancer as well as all workers at his programme.