Breast Cancer Awareness Month – Joint Campaign by IFMSA and FAMSA

Aiming to increase our impact, the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations joined forces with the Federation of African Medical Students’ Associations for the Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) this year. This annual campaign intends to educate people about the importance of awareness, early screening, test and treatment of breast cancer. This campaign started on October 1st and ended on October 31st.

For breast cancer awareness month, SCORAngels in Africa teamed up with FAMSA for a campaign that covered a wide variety of activities, such as infographics, on breast cancer. These posters were shared on online platforms to inform people about important facts concerning this disease. Another important part of the campaign was creating a network that brings together people from Africa and other regions to discuss relevant issues. This platform allowed a two-time breast cancer survivor to share her story on how she beat the disease. Prior to her sharing her story, a doctor from Nigeria took the participants though the facts on breast cancer and focused on types of breast cancer, epidemiology, risk factors, symptoms, evaluation and treatment.

At the level of the NMOs, SCORAngels in Africa also had a range of activities, including a breast cancer talk in Malawi that had multiple quizzes for participants to state their knowledge on the topic. The main focus of our educational materials was fighting misconceptions, alongside common signs and symptoms, risk factors, what is normal and abnormal concerning the breasts, description of benign breast lesions and how can it be diagnosed at home.

SCORAngels in Nigeria also had activities during this month. They conducted these by visiting various worship centres on campus to have interactions with the students, teaching them self breast examination and making it colourful by bringing pink and white balloons. They were also on-air and had an interactive session in which people called in to ask questions and share their views.