ShareKUWAIT: Dr Khalid Al-Saleh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Cancer Awareness Campaign (CAN), stressed on Tuesday the need to increase breast cancer awareness efforts in order to reduce late-stage diagnoses and lower the rates of the disease. He said this can be done by educating women about risk factors, promoting a healthy lifestyle, and focusing on weight management to prevent obesity, which is a gateway to many diseases, including breast cancer.
In his speech at the closing ceremony of the breast cancer awareness campaign, which was launched by CAN under the patronage of the Minister of Social Affairs and State Minister for Family and Childhood Affairs Dr Amthal Al-Huwailah, Dr Al-Saleh said breast cancer ranks first in terms of incidence among women, according to statistics from the Kuwait Cancer Control Center.
He added that the CAN breast cancer awareness campaign’s strategy focuses on leveraging community partnerships to raise awareness of the disease. Dr Al-Saleh also highlighted that since 2010, CAN has trained teachers to become instructors in self-examination and early detection, noting that 163,000 students were trained in self-examination methods in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. He praised the campaign’s success in raising awareness, with the awareness rate increasing from 61 percent before the campaign to 72 percent after its completion. He emphasized that early detection and awareness are key factors in improving recovery rates.
Dr Hessa Al-Shaheen, the campaign’s general supervisor, noted that this year’s campaign featured a partnership with the the Public Authority for Youth and the Health Promotion Department of the Ministry of Health. She mentioned that 23 different awareness activities were carried out.
Dr Al-Shaheen also highlighted the “Lose to Gain” competition for women, which focused on weight loss over two months through exercise and nutrition. The program provided participants with a coach and a nutritionist, as well as a dedicated WhatsApp platform for addressing their inquiries.
The campaign included various activities, exhibitions, and seminars held in locations such as Kuwait University, Sabah Al-Salem University, shopping malls, the Ministry of Oil, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the Grand Mosque, professional associations, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, and several schools.
In her speech, the spokesperson for the Public Authority for Youth, Asrar Al-Ansari, said: “At the authority, we recognize that health and awareness issues are not just fleeting efforts; they are the cornerstone of building a conscious society capable of facing challenges with confidence and strength.” She emphasized the profound impact of these issues on the lives of women, families, and the community as a whole. Al-Ansari reiterated the authority’s support for the campaign, driven by the firm belief that awareness is power and prevention is the first step toward change. She affirmed the authority’s commitment to providing full media support to enhance the campaign’s message and ensure it reaches every home, as they believe that health is not just an individual responsibility, but a collective duty.
