#Pinktober In Afghanistan

October brings the promise of cooler days in the northern hemisphere. It smells like roasted almonds, wet leaves and sea water; and tastes like pumpkin pie and saffron tea. And October always wears pink.

October is the month where we fondly remember all the warriors fallen in the battle against breast cancer, and honor the survivors. It’s the month where we put an emphasis on prevention, and early screening. A month to remember that 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020 only.

Afghanistan is living in a climate of extreme emergency nowadays, and much of the medical efforts are put into other life-saving procedures and initiatives. However, our wonderful healthcare team has implemented an action plan to raise public awareness of breast cancer.

The training of 23 midwives in palpation skills and screening techniques began at the beginning of the month, in the southern province of Kandahar and in the eastern territories. These midwives are all part of our mobile healthcare teams, reaching inaccessible communities across the country.

All suspected cases they encounter will be transferred to our nearest clinic for further testing and appropriate treatment. This way, we hope to light a beacon of hope by joining the fight against cancer, and saving many lives by early detection.