Journey of Hope (JoH) Botswana is hosting it's 15th Annual Big Journey tour, which is a breast cancer awareness and screening initiative. The important screening initiative comes as a result of the rise in lifestyle related diseases. According to JoH Public Relations Personnel Onica Lekuntwane, there is a real need to educate communities about breast cancer as a non-communicable disease, and to make breast screening accessible to underserved communities throughout the country.
She therefore revealed that this year's Big Journey predominantly covers the villages within the Tswapong districts of Mahalapye and Palapye."As an NGO we are limited to where we can go and acknowledge that there is more we can do. However, the NGO has covered many villages throughout Botswana from Shakawe to Pitsane, Tsabong to Parakarungu," she explained.
Adding further, Lekuntwane hilighted that breast cancer is not an infectious disease, however there is definitely a challenge of late detection because most patients associate disease with pain yet the signs of breast cancer are usually painless.
She indicated that this is the 15th annual Big Journey by an NGO that is 17 years old. "We paused the Big Journey in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We however wish to go on and continue doing more tests,".
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Lekuntwane hilighted that as a volunteer-based NGO, they try to accommodate the schedules of their doctors, nurses, riders and others, adding that they always aim to facilitate these trips during the months of August/September so that by the time breast cancer awareness month arrives in October, they are done with linking diagnosed patients to care.
She said so far the response from the villages has been very positive from both men and women. She pointed out that even people aged over 40 have also been coming in large numbers. "This is a very welcome development as these are the age groups that tend to result in the highest number of diagnoses," she indicated.
Sharing a word of encouragement, Lekuntwane said breast cancer affects both men and women, and there is an increase in younger people being diagnosed with the disease. "This has been associated with unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyles and over-consumption of over-processed food. To see a change, we all have to play a role in taking our breast health in our hands,".
