Breast cancer awareness month- 01 to 31st October

This is a global healthcare event for the awareness of breast cancer, which we reflect on for the entire month of October every year for the past 37 years. This year, World Health Organization will reminisce the month under the theme “No-one should face breast cancer alone” with the objectives to drive advocacy, awareness, and behavior change communication, foster knowledge exchange, and strengthen multisectoral collaboration. Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, with 2.3 million new cases annually accounting for one in eight cancer cases among both sexes and a quarter of all cancers in women, with 70% of deaths occurring in resource-constrained settings. Barriers within health systems, low awareness, and limited early detection contribute to late-stage diagnoses and poor outcomes, especially affecting younger populations in these regions and leading to high premature mortality and maternal orphans. Addressing breast cancer effectively has significant implications for gender equality, health equity, and achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) 3.4 and 3.8, targeting reduced premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases and universal health coverage.

Authors: Ritah Namusoosa^1*, Hannington Katumba²

 Institutional affiliation: ¹Uganda Public Health Fellowship Program-Laboratory Leadership Program; Uganda National Institute of Public Health; Ministry of Health Kampala, Uganda ²Uganda Public Health Fellowship Program-Field Epidemiology Training Program; Uganda National Institute of Public Health; Ministry of Health Kampala, Uganda

Correspondence *Tel: +256785842878           email: rnamusoosa@uniph.go.ug