Dump The Lump – BMSS Bangladesh

Name of the activity: Dump the lump

Country/NMO: BeMSA Belgium

Program: Healthy Lifestyles & Non-Communicable Diseases

Contact information: contact [email protected] to get in touch with the Activity Coordinator

Type of the activity: Continuous Activity

Category: Campaign

Focus area: Cancer

Sustainable Development Goals addressed: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

General description:

We organised session with medical students conducted by Oncologist Parvin Shahida. Took History,examined breasts of 200 village women of Gazipur under the supervision of surgeons.Taught breast examination process, ways of cancer prevention to transgender persons, underprivileged females of Bihari camp, Mymensingh, Manikganj,Sylhet. Raised funds for poor patients. Conducted drawing competition and a radio show on Radio Bangla 92.5 F.M in collaboration with Shanti cancer foundation and Bandhu.

Problem statement:

Breast Cancer is the most common cancer among women in Bangladesh. More than 13,000 women in Bangladesh are infected with breast cancer and over 7,000 die every year. The rates are increasing by 0.5% per year due to unawareness, improper screening, lack of motivation to go for institutional treatment etc. There is no link between treatment fall out and finances to the patient. As after appearing of symptoms people are not coming for help the death rate is increasing.

Target groups:

• General population
• Medical students
• Healthcare Students
• Women
• LGBTQIA+ community

Beneficiaries:

• General population
• Medical students
• Healthcare Students
• Women
• LGBTQIA+ community

Objectives:

1.To collaborate with Shanti Cancer Foundation and arrange a self breast examination training session, awareness campaign with medical students in Gazipur area by a 3 hours long training session conducted by Chairperson of Shanti Cancer Foundation and MOs and describe about breast cancer, self breast examination by the LOs and National Team of SCORA to at least 50 unprivileged females of bihari camp, 30 tea workers of Sylhet, 50 industrial workers of Mymensingh, 50 females in slum area of Manikganj and about 20 people of trans gender community through a 1 hour long closed session and campaign within last two weeks of October. 

2.To collect funds through online and offline awareness campaigns, to provide free treatment facilities to poor patients and sensitise at least 70 medical students all around Bangladesh about the struggles of breast cancer survivors, importance of prevention of breast cancer through an online poster making and painting competition during last 2 weeks of October.

Indicators:

1. 90% participants will be benefited by the self breast examination training session, awareness campaign and all of them will get certificates.
2. 80% people from transgender community, 

bihari camp, Sylhet,Mymensingh and Manikganj will be reached for each objective, among which 75% of them will learn about self breast examination process and will be aware about breast cancer and it’s prevention. 

3. 85% of medical students and 80% of other people will be able to advocate on this topic in their institutions and community respectively.

4.80% participants of the competition, campaign and training session will be inspired to work for breast cancer awareness and prevention, among which 75% of them will be able to implement it in action.

5.10 unprivileged poor women suspected of suffering from or having symptoms of breast cancer will get the facility of doing ultrasonography and mammography, free of cost by the fund which will be collected throughout our event.

Methodology:

1. The timeline of our activity was from 26th October to 8 November 
2. Our 35 medical students had a session led by Oncologist Prof. Parvin shahida. 
3. The event was a collaboration with Shanti Cancer Foundation and Bandhu Social Welfare Society. 
4. To establish the sustainability of the event as well as the goal of “”Health for all”” we reached transgender people and around 250 underprivilaged women throughout the nation to provide them with information regarding the issue of breast cancer.

Plans for evaluation:

We have included pre ans post evaluation in the event 

Pre- evaluation : form was provided to know about the participants and their knowledge about the program 

Post Evaluation : 1)Form was provided 

2)On field observation was made by the sessions’ facilitators and certificates were presented on the basis of their effort from Shanti Cancer Foundation 

3) Q and A session and Feedback was held after the session.

External collaborations:

Shanti cancer foundation (NGO) has provided logistical support including transport,  food and venue.