Tonga joins the rest of the world in marking the breast cancer awareness month, hence the title ‘PINK-TOBER’.
Tonga Breast Cancer Society launched the breast cancer awareness month this week with a morning tea and was graced with the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Pilolevu Tuita, Patron of the Breast Cancer Society.
Speaking at the program the Director of Health – Dr. Siale ‘Akauola said, cancer is the second cause of death in Tonga.
He praised the awesome efforts the society has carried out to assist the victims of breast cancer.
He added though Tonga has limited resources to help the victims but that does not discourage the society from spearheading activities to promote assistance to breast cancer victims.
Dr. ‘Akau’ola also urged women to get early detection screening help and get treatment as soon as possible.
Director of Health also praised the efforts of survivors to come out victorious and set examples to other women in self help initiatives.
“The message I have brought this morning, is the message you have created a society, you have very admirable objectives, Christine gave me the objectives of the society last week and I saw it to promote awareness of breast cancer provide information and education, promote the benefits of early detection to represent all Tongan people to help the screening and treatment capacity of whoever is doing it even the Ministry of Health, the referral of the people overseas and off-course, at the end of the day we want to reduce the people who die from breast cancer and to improve the quality of life of those affected by breast cancer.”
Also speaking at the event was a breast cancer survivor ‘Anaseini Siniva Taione, who encouraged women to get early check-ups and have faith in the Lord because nothing is impossible to God even when all seems impossible.
“I am here to confirm and witness that the impossible to us is possible to the father in Heaven, God is good all the time! My encouragement is as soon as discover a lump, please seek a doctor, the longer you wait the more cancer to spread. Luckily for me I went to the hospital, is a disease that can kill you if not treated on time, do not think of death yet, have faith, trust in the Lord, our impossible is possible to our father in Heaven”.
The theme highlighted this year is ‘We’re stronger together’.
As part of the Breast Cancer Awareness month, people are being urged to wear pink every Friday starting this week.