Pinktober is the official breast cancer awareness month for the Samoa Cancer Society. It is the month that the Samoan community both local and overseas come together in solicarity with the color PINK towards advocacy, education, awareness and fundraising activities of the Society. It is a symbol of support and working together, as is the theme of PINKTOBER 2023 – ‘Together we can make a difference’, ‘Ia tasi i suiga manuia’.
For the Samoa Cancer Society who has been working tirelessly together with our community in the past 21 years since its establishment, this month is a highlight of its calendar year of awareness campaigns, to promote and reinforce to our women, the importance of early detection, recognising the signs and symptoms, seeking medical advice and learning to do breast self-examinations.
At the Samoa Cancer Society, the number of registered cancer patients recorded for the first half of 2023 reveals that there are more women than men who have been diagnosed with cncer while the highest type of cancer affecting women is breast cancer. It is our objective to help decrease the prevalence and incidence of breast cancer in Samoa, by contributing to and supporting the Ministry’s Health Sector Plan and the governments’ Strategy for the Development of Samoa.
As Patron of the Samoa Cancer Society, I am pleased to report that the work of the Society continues to provide vital information and statistics to the Health Sector that contributes to national policy planning and implementation. The Samoa Cancer Society is an important stakeholder and advocator to all consultations on cancer, tobacco control and NCD’s for Samoa, and for which I am proud to be associated with.
We want a cancer free Samoa and whilst realistically, this may take a few years to achieve, the Cancer Society in the meantime, will continue to provide practical support that includes giving access to quality fo life, access to mobility equipment, nutritional advice, emotional support and home visits for patients and families that are living with cancer.
We play a big part in making things happen…the facilitation of helping with travel and support plans for overseas treatment, creating a platform with potential community donors and sponsors who are able to help out financially, and advocationg to our health services for cancer medication and some ongoing treatment needs, to be administered here at home. This is what we do to help alleviate the financial and emotional burden for cancer patients.
As individuals, the Health Ministry, the Samoa Cancer Society and affilitated organisations, families and individuals affected, cannot do it alone. We need to come ‘together to make a difference, Ia tasi i Suiga manuia’, whether big or small in the lives of the women in our community. We are seeing the difference daily. We thank You. Let’s make it better with further support for PINKTOBER 2023, which I now declare officially OPEN.
Faamanuia le Atua i Polokalame uma ma Fuafuaga Faataatitia o le PINKTOBER 2023.
Faafetai ma ia manuia.
