As part of Pink October, a month dedicated to raising awareness and fighting against women's cancers, the Women's Association of the Thierno Birahim Ndao Regional Hospital in Kaffrine organized a large-scale hike this Saturday to raise awareness among the Kaffrine population about breast and cervical cancers.

This activity, placed under the banner of prevention and well-being, and with the theme: breast and cervical cancer, in "Let's talk about it for women" brought together a strong mobilization of health personnel, local authorities and many citizens. The chosen route, particularly dense and symbolic, allowed the participants to crisscross several arteries, notably those of the central market, in order to reach the real target: women, the main affected by these cancers.

According to Ms. Ramata Danfakha Ba, director of the Thierno Birahim Ndao Regional Hospital, "The hospital's Women's Association organized a wonderful activity as part of the fight against cancer and to promote health. Like many other organizations, we wanted to mark this day with a hike, but also with activities to screen for women's cancers."

The director praised the strong mobilization of hospital staff, emphasizing that "only those on duty remained at the hospital; all the other staff were present."

She also stressed the importance of sport in disease prevention:

"To prevent cancer and chronic diseases, exercise is essential. It helps reduce blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and blood pressure, and also contributes to the prevention of cancer and many other diseases."

For Ms. Ba, sports practice must be regular:

"Some people think that one or two workouts a week are enough. This is a mistake. It's like deciding not to brush your teeth from Monday to Saturday and waiting until Sunday to do it. You should walk or do some other physical activity at least three times a week, for a minimum of 30 minutes."

She also urged women to get screened regularly and to have their daughters aged 9 to 14 vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV), the main risk factor for cervical cancer.

For her part, Ndeye Gnanga Mbaye, Mrs. Ndoye, head of the Nursing Service and president of the hospital's Women's Association, recalled the purpose of this initiative:

"Today, we came together to organize a hiking trip with the aim of raising awareness among the Kaffrine population about cancers, particularly cervical cancer and breast cancer."

She announced the continuation of screening actions as part of Pink October, extended until the end of November:

“The hospital usually organizes screenings every Friday, but to mark Pink October, we decided to extend this action. Thus, every Friday has been declared “Pink Friday” at the Regional Hospital Center.”

Ms. Ndoye thanked the medical team and management for their commitment:

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate our gynecologists for the remarkable work they are doing, as well as the Director for her support and trust."

Finally, she praised the solidarity and dynamism of the members of the Association, without forgetting the media who supported this activity and helped to popularize the awareness message.

This initiative illustrates the commitment of the Thierno Birahim Ndao Regional Hospital in Kaffrine in the fight against women's cancers, by focusing on prevention, early detection and vaccination as essential levers to save lives.