Women for Better Healthy Life NGO Gives Breast Cancer Awareness Sessions The Pink October Campaign October 27, 2022. By Angel George. According to statistics, breast cancer makes up 30% of all new cancer cases in women, and is the most common cancer globally. 1 in every 8 women are going to develop invasive breast cancer in the course of their lives, and a man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 833. 85% of people who develop this kind of cancer do not have a family history of the abnormality, and in most cases, the symptoms present no pain. The cultural and socio-economic background of the Kurdish community had impeded them from learning how to detect breast cancer and the major procedures done when the tumor is present. Run by the NGO Women for Better Healthy Life, and in coordination with the Directorate of Health in Duhok, the community center of Weh, has established the first screening unit in the region, with the primary goal of reducing suffering from the disease to detect cancer from an early stage. This saves up physical, psychological, and economic costs. Pink October campaign included awareness sessions to the IDP women; the center had provided awareness sessions to directorates, universities, mosques, churches, and started the breast cancer walkathon in Duhok city. Weh center continues to work with institutions and the public community to bring more awareness to the health issues that face people, especially women, whose role is indispensable. Women for Better Healthy Life NGO and the Center for Academic and Professional Advancement (CAPA) of the American University of Kurdistan Open invitations to people from diverse backgrounds were sent to host WFBHL representatives, cancer survivors, and healthcare agents in the American university of Kurdistan on October 27, 2022. Dr.Sana Rasheed, a breast physician, spoke of the symptoms and treatment for breast cancer to the crowd, followed by the Executive Director of Weh Center, Karishma Nair, elaborated the services the center offers, such as mammography screening services for women over the age of 40 years, free of cost. For those who are under 40, free physical examinations are provided by a doctor. The machine is a modern equipment from Germany which results in less radiation and accurate results. For those seeking PSS, the center also has free services of a psychologist, and conducts sessions for breast cancer survivors and fighters. Established in 2021, up to 1000 women were screened, the suspected cases of 304 were referred to ultrasound; the highly suspected cases were 44, and were referred to MRI and biopsy. Then 11 cases were confirmed to have breast cancer, although these women had no symptoms when they came from the screening, they were able to get effective treatment in the very early stages of the tumor. The seminar also hosted Jin Atroshi, with a heartfelt speech about her battle with breast cancer. Now a mother and survivor, she emphasized the need for the Kurdish community to support their daughters to be free, and to be encouraged especially in the tough moments of their lives, when the society puts them down. Mihabad Aref, a nutritionist and influencer in the community, spoke about the importance of health and nutrition in effectively preventing diseases, and explained the benefits of phytochemical and antioxidants as part of the diet as it can preserve and build the immunity and a healthy body. She also provided tips to chemotherapy patients on what can be consumed to ease their treatment process. Dr.Jervy Bernandino, Chief Nursing Administrator at AUK, spoke about the myths and facts of the disease in a very engaging way; and Dr. Adnan Asaad, a psychiatrist, spoke about the link between mental health, wellbeing and illness (breast cancer). One of the most impactful speeches was given by Ms.Iman Derbas, a journalist affiliated with Kurdistan 24; she spoke about the role of the media in spreading breast cancer awareness. She asked women to come forward and register themselves or screen themselves without feeling shame, and even appealed to the men in the community to encourage the female members in their households to take action and make use of the various services available to them. Take early measures to save a life, contact WFBH to register for breast cancer testing and other services below: https://wfbhl.org/contact_us.php