Around one hundred sympathisers of cancer patients in Seychelles defied the bad weather and gathered on the Beau Vallon beach in the north district of Mahe in front of the Sables D'Or Apartments on Wednesday in an awareness march for breast cancer.
The annual activity formed part of the action plan of the organisers, Soroptimist Club of Seychelles, for the month dedicated to raising awareness about cancer.
The participants, wearing pink t-shirts and clothing items, walked the length of Beau Vallon beach from the Sables D'Or to the Fisherman's Cove hotel, returned and walked up to Mare-Anglaise before returning to their starting point.
The president of the Soroptimist Club of Seychelles, Janick Durup-Bibi, said they were very pleased with the turnout.
"It is a very encouraging turnout, especially given the fact that it had been raining heavily in the area right up to half an hour before the march started," she said.
Durup-Bibi shared that "cancer concerns all of us. It impacts on us all as we are a very small community and we all know someone who has cancer. It might be a family member, a friend, or a colleague, so we are all coming together to show support for those who are living with cancer, to spare a moment of reflection for those who have left us because of the illness."
According to the Annual Health Sector Performance report for 2022, cancer diseases are attributed to 159 deaths in Seychelles, which is 17 percent of total deaths in the island nation.
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The cancer registry reported 290 new cancer cases among which 167 were male and 123 female. For men, the most common new cancers diagnosed were prostate (57), bowel (15), and head and neck (22). For women, breast (39), bowel (16), uterus (13) and cervix (11).
Other than marching along the beach, thus catching the attention of visitors, those present were able to buy small souvenir items, such as tea light candles and t-shirts. They could also have their photos taken within a special photo frame.
The activity ended with the participants forming a heart shape and sending their best wishes to those impacted by cancer.
The Soroptimist Society of Seychelles said they work alongside the Ministry of Health in raising awareness about cancer by organising such activities.
Durup-Bibi said that on October 22, the Soroptimist Society of Seychelles will hold "our Pink Link activity, where we will all join hands in support of cancer patients. The Plaisance Primary School's boys' choir will accompany us in this activity and on October 28, we will be selling pink ribbons at different spots in Victoria."
