Guyana’s First Lady sponsors 50 more women to get free mammograms

On Wednesday, Guyana’s First Lady, Mrs Arya Ali, recommitted to the fight against breast cancer and will be sponsoring breast cancer screening for another 50 women.

The announcement was made by Mrs. Ali during a tree wrapping exercise she hosted on Main Street, in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2022.

“I used this opportunity to recommit my support in the fight against this disease by sponsoring mammograms for another 50 women. So far, my Office has sponsored mammograms for 100 women,” Mrs Ali said.

It was revealed that in a post on the first lady’s official social media page, she issued a call for more support for persons affected by the disease.

“We must continue advocacy and mobilisation of resources to support testing; because of the difference that early detection makes… it is my hope that we continue to stand on the shoulders of those victims and survivors of breast cancer and continue the great work that has been started.”

It was pointed out that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer. However, in Guyana it is referred to as ‘pinktober’.

It was disclosed that the tree wrapping exercise was a partnership of the First Lady’s Office, the Guyana Cancer Foundation, and Impressions Branding.

Mrs Ali noted that the statistics on breast cancer deaths in Guyana reached 96 or 1.34 per cent of total reported deaths.

She stressed that the age adjusted death rate was 25.5 per 100,000 of the population which ranked Guyana at number 23 in the world.

The first lady who was adorned in pink shared from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women world-wide.

Mrs Ali was joined at the event by the United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, the Mayor of Georgetown Pandit Ubraj Narine, cancer survivors, and a wide cross section of Guyanese.

Further, the WHO said breast cancer remains the number one cause of cancer-related deaths in women; however, when detected early, and is in the localised stage, the five-year relative survival rate is 99 per cent.

The Cancer Institute of Guyana also noted that “mammography [or mammograms] has been proven to reduce mortality from breast cancer.”

As such, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has also been urging women above the age of 50 years to get screened for breast cancer.  GPHC also offers free mammograms and is the leading tertiary public health institution in Guyana.

Additionally, the Guyana Cancer foundation can be reached on phone numbers: 592-227-207 | 592 624 3121 | 592-618-2085 – or – by email at: info@guyanacf.com for anyone seeking additional help and/or counselling.