Pretoria - The City of Johannesburg and the Estee Lauder Companies will light the Nelson Mandela Bridge bright pink for the month of October in a bid to raise awareness about breast cancer.
“The lighting of Nelson Mandela Bridge will serve as a reminder of the fact that the earlier breast cancer is detected and diagnosed, the better your chances of beating it,” Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development in the City of Johannesburg, Dr Mpho Phalatse, said on Wednesday.
Johannesburg will join various cities around the world in lighting notable landmarks to call attention to breast health and the early detection of the condition. The initiative was founded by Evelyn Lauder in 2000.
Thursday will mark the beginning of this year's awareness campaign which first saw the Nelson Mandela Bridge lit back in 2012.
Estee Lauder General Manager Loren Dreyer said breast cancer represents one in four of all cancers in women and is the most prominent cancer in women worldwide, increasing particularly in developing countries - where the majority of cases are diagnosed in late stages.
“Our message is to be mindful of risk factors that include family history – your susceptibility to the condition, age – the risk increases as you get older, genetics – as many as 10% of cases are thought to be hereditary and lifestyle – the consumption of alcohol and obesity after menopause is linked to the increase in risk,” Dreyer said.
South Africa is ranked 50th on the World Cancer Research Fund’s list of countries with the highest cancer prevalence rates.
Amongst women, the most prevalent is breast cancer followed by cervical, uterus, colorectal and oesophageal cancer.
“We are committed to beating these statistics through education on the condition and will continue this drive within all health facilities in the City of Joburg during the month of October.
“We are proud of this partnership with Estee Lauder Companies and commend them for taking action,” said Dr Phalatse. – SAnews.gov.za
