SARAJEVO, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — The 11th “Race for the Cure”, world’s largest event for the fight against breast cancer, took place on Sunday in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) capital Sarajevo, raising awareness on the cancer disease and its proper treatment.
This annual event brought together women who survived the disease, their families, friends, officials, all working to empower women’s health in the fight against breast cancer, organizers stated.
According to Nela Hasic, regional director of “Think Pink-Together we are One” organization, women need psycho-social assistance during the difficult process of recovery after surgery. And the organization offers psycho-social support in 15 cities in the country.
“Our ultimate goal is to reduce mortality from breast cancer,” Hasic highlighted.
A participant, 40 year-old accountant Sejla Mujic, spoke on reasons why she came from Bihac, a city located some 300 km from the capital Sarajevo, to support the event.
She told a story on her niece, a 32 year-old woman who was diagnosed with cancer seven years ago.
“At the time she was diagnosed with breast cancer, my niece was only 25. It was a shock for her, as well as for the whole family. She comes from a small village, she was not educated on cancer at that time. Luckily, nowadays, there are programs and events that educate women,” Mujic told Xinhua, highlighting that cancer is curable if it is treated in the right way.
“My niece feels better now, she was under treatment for five years, she changed her lifestyle, and apart from taking medicine, she introduced healthy diet and workout,” Mujic said.
She talked several times about the importance of the education on cancer, not only for women suffering from some cancer disease but for healthy women as well.
According to the World Cancer Research Fund, there are some 2 million new cases registered in 2018. There is no accurate data on the number of women suffering from cancer in BiH, but according to “Think Pink-Together we are One” organization, there are some 1,500 annually discovered cases, out of which some 500 recorded deaths.
Some 8,000 people, including Sarajevo Mayor Abdulah Skaka and other officials, participated in Sunday’s walk through Sarajevo city centre, offering support and sending a message that the breast cancer is curable.
All funds collected from registration will be spent on free mammographic screening for women living in rural parts of the country, as well as on the “first aid” package for every operated woman, according to Hasic.
