October is breast cancer awareness month. It is marked by global campaign to increase awareness of this disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure.             

The campaign also offers information and support for those affected by the disease. This observance started in 1985 through a partnership between American Cancer Society and Imperial Chemical Industries (now part of AstraZeneca, producer of anti-breast cancer medicines).

From the start, the initial aim was to promote mammography as the most effective weapon against breast cancer. In developed countries most people are aware of breast cancer, but many forget to take steps to have a plan and/or encourage others to detect it in its early stages when it can be successfully treated.

Today a woman in America or Japan diagnosed with breast cancer early, has approximately 98 per cent chance of beating the disease because of increased awareness, accessible and high quality of health care and early detection programmes.

However, an African woman does not have these options and advantages and therefore can be up to four times less likely to survive.                                      

In East Africa, Breast Cancer survival rate is at 26 per cent tragically low. This is why Breast Cancer Initiative East Africa Inc. (BCIEA Inc) is determined to change these statistics for we are acutely aware of the life and death consequences of lack of awareness, access to sustainable treatment, and care available for cancer patients in the region and indeed in the entire continent.

Our awareness is not just limited to October, we strive to make it part of our lifestyle everyday and all year long.

Why is awareness important, one may ask? Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide. One out of eight women will get cancer in her life time. The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if found and treated early.

The founder of BCIEA is celebrating 20 years of breast cancer survivorship this year. Her "ambitious” wish and dream is to turn all Rwandan breast cancer diagnoses into Survivor stories, just like hers.

This is why BCIEA is striving to break the silence caused by stigma that shroud breast cancer, and dispel myths, misinformation and superstitions about this disease. We believe Knowledge is Power, that will liberate women and/or men, from hiding the disease until they are driven by severe pain to seek medical attention and by then cancer has spread to other organs and difficult to treat.

BCIEA Inc. is appealing to everyone to take time and speak or ask about breast cancer; leaders, doctors, nurses, clinicians, counselors, please speak about the importance of medical checkup, screening and early detection; feel free to adopt our brand slogan: Early Detection Is the Best Protection, Kwisuzumisha Kare Niko Kwirinda Nyabyo. You can include it in the social media and #tag it in your tweets, at least for the month of October.

Offering information in different ways can help reduce our risk for cancer: diet that includes fruit and vegetables, physical activities like exercise/walking, maintaining healthy weight, reduced alcohol intake, refraining from smoking/tobacco use.

Please join BCIEA‘s annual breast cancer awareness Ulinzi Walk on Sunday, October 26, 2014 at 2p.m. The walk will start at RDB Parking lot, Gishushu in Kigali and end at Christ Church of Rwanda where we will have a community health forum with doctors and breast cancer survivors/advocates answering questions and offering useful health information. Free Clinical Breast Examination will also be provided.

The writer is the Founder, Director: BCIEA Inc.