In a global effort to raise awareness on breast cancer, October has been designated as the Pink Month.  The Pink Month is a month where efforts to educate those concerned about the disease, including early identification and signs and symptoms associated with breast cancer.

To commemorate 2015 Pink Month, the WHO Ethiopia Staff Association (WESA) organized a breast cancer awareness session for women staff where breast self-examination techniques were taught by Dr Fikir Melese, WESA Chairperson.  The orientation included updates on the current situation of cancer in Ethiopia, and prevention of breast cancer. 

"We are the World Health Organization, the global body for ensuring the health of peoples around the world; we should also be proactive about ensuring health for our own staff, for ourselves," Dr Fikir said, explaining the motivation for WESA's organizing such an orientation program.

Highlighting that 90% of early stage breast cancers are curable, often with treatments that conserve the breast, Dr Fikir urged colleagues to self-examine themselves once a month for any early signs, to visit their doctor regularly, and to get mammography periodically.

Every year, breast cancer kills more than 500,000 women around the world. In resource-poor settings, a majority of women with breast cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage of disease, resulting in low survival rates.

The leadership of WHO Ethiopia commended WESA for taking the initiative to engage in this, possibly lifesaving, effort.  The women staff of the Country Office that participated in the orientation also expressed their appreciation for opportunity to learn such simple but possibly lifesaving techniques.

For more information, please contact:

Program: Dr Fikir Melese;  fikirm [at] who.int

Communication: Loza Mesfin Tesfaye;  tesfayel [at] who.int (tesfayel[at]who[dot]int)