Mobile operating company in Sierra Leone, Orange SL has again joined ‘Thinking Pink’ to push Breast Cancer Week beginning yesterday Monday 26th October 2020. Addressing journalists at their head office in Regent, Desmond Spaine of the Corporate Section of Orange said that October is always declared Breast Cancer Month, and during the last week of the month, Thinking Pink and Orange will come together to sensitise the pubic as well as give women the chance to get tested and help treat some of the patients in need of immediate treatment.
“This year we do not want it to be limited to women but also advice men to do the test because it is also reported that men too can have breast cancer, and we want to start in our office and the environs today (Monday) before moving to our other offices around the city.” Mr Spaine said due to COVID-19 they were unable to organise the cross country marathon that they had been using to sensitise the public, but said they were given vehicles to help them in whatever sensitisation they planned to do.
He said they are targeting about 100 women on the first day, but hope the number will increase as the days go by. Head of Media at Orange Annie Wonnie Kata said Orange has given Le75 million to Thinking Pink for 10 people in need of urgent surgery, and they hope that these women will be able to undergo the surgery and come out successful. She said the population should take the cancer seriously as it is the second highest killer disease in the country. Mrs Cremelda Pratt from Thinking Pink said they are happy with Orange partnering with them to make sure that their staff are tested so they can know their status.
She said if anyone has the lump they will make sure they counsel them and make sure he/she understands everything s/he needs to know so that s/he can now discuss with his/her office for treatment. Mrs Pratt said the treatment cannot be done in Sierra Leone because there are no oncologists here, so they have to go to Ghana or other countries for treatment.
“I want to encourage all men to go and check because they too can have breast cancer and they must not relent. The time for us to stay quiet about breast cancer is over as we must shout about it to minimise the death because today breast cancer is not a death sentence anymore, but if detected early the chances of survival and treatment is always greater.”
She called on Sierra Leoneans to do checkups, and called on women to be checking their breasts constantly to know if any unusual growth had taken place in the body. She said Thinking Pink is always available even after the month long October campaign so that people will have the chance to check and go for treatment if necessary.