WHO and UNESCO hold breast cancer walk in Abidjan
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on AIP
The WHO and UNESCO organised a breast cancer awareness walk in Abidjan on 30 October, followed by a fitness session, to mark the end of Pink October. Representatives of both organisations also discussed early screening and support for health facilities, according to the Ivorian Press Agency.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) organised a breast cancer awareness walk in Abidjan on Friday 30 October, followed by a fitness session, according to the Ivorian Press Agency (AIP). The initiative marked the end of Pink October and aimed to promote early screening and a healthy lifestyle.
The WHO representative in Ivory Coast, Lucien Alexis Manga, said more than 10,000 women had been put on treatment in the country last year through specific projects. He also announced that the WHO would work with health facilities to check that they had screening equipment.
Experts recommended limiting tobacco and alcohol, monitoring diet and taking part in physical activity. Carlita Rachel-Ekwee, strategy director of the Ivorian NGO L’Âme Afrique, called for awareness efforts to continue beyond October. The campaign is part of a series of screening and information initiatives organised in recent weeks, notably in Yopougon.
