An island wide special national programme is scheduled to be held on November 02 under the leadership of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus and the Ministry of Health to promote early detection of breast cancer, one of the most commonly reported cancers among women in Sri Lanka, and raise public awareness of the disease.
The decision was taken at a recent meeting of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, held under the chairpersonship of Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Chairperson of the Caucus, the Department of Communication of Parliament said in a statement.
At the meeting, officials from the Ministry of Health explained the current situation regarding breast cancer and the importance of early detection.
Approximately 6,000 new cases of breast cancer are reported in Sri Lanka annually, while around 1,000 women die from the disease each year, the statement said.
Although breast cancer can be completely cured when detected at an early stage, delays in seeking treatment due to fear, embarrassment or a lack of awareness remain a major challenge.
Accordingly, on Monday, 02 November, women Members of Parliament are scheduled to organize health clinics and awareness programmes at the electorate and district levels and participate directly in these initiatives, it stated.
Plans have also been made to demonstrate active participation in Breast Cancer Awareness Month through the use of pink symbols, including pink ribbons and pink wristbands, as well as pink clothing, among women Members of Parliament and school and university students.
Special attention will be given to encouraging women in rural communities, plantation areas, urban high-rise housing complexes and underserved areas to attend Suwanari Clinics.
As only around 50% of women aged 35–45 currently attend these clinics, efforts will be made to encourage more women in this age group to make use of the facilities available at designated cancer early-detection centers, the statement said.
A comprehensive programme is also planned for implementation next year to refer all women aged 35–45 for screening tests, bringing together relevant stakeholders, including women’s societies operating at the Grama Niladhari division level.
In addition, the meeting discussed conducting cervical cancer awareness programmes in January under the leadership of women Members of Parliament, it added.
The meeting also focused on gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) and the care economy. Discussions were held on obtaining technical advisory support to facilitate the implementation of the National Care Policy and the incorporation of gender-responsive policies into the budgetary process.
Furthermore, the need to expedite amendments to address existing shortcomings in legislation relating to the prevention of domestic violence, maintenance, and the prohibition of corporal punishment against children was emphasized, the statement added.
The importance of coordinating with the Ministry of Justice to advance these amendments was also highlighted.
