By Samwel Doe Ouma @samweldoe
The Estée Lauder Companies – Sub Sahara Africa affiliate have officially launched the 2021 ‘#TimeToEndBreastCancer’ campaign in Kenya.
According to Kay Matseba , Estée Lauder head- Estée Lauder Companies – Sub Sahara Africa -, the Company has been the leader in the global breast cancer movement since Evelyn H. Lauder co-created the Pink Ribbon and started the Breast Cancer Campaign in 1992, igniting meaningful action and inspiring a still thriving worldwide movement.
“The campaign hopes to achieve equity and unity in support of the entire breast cancer community worldwide. This year’s Pink Ribbon creative- the universally recognized symbol for breast cancer- features shades of pink, textures and design to signify the diversity of the disease in support of everyone who is touched by the illness,” she said.
The campaign also seeks to raise funds towards Breast Cancer Research Foundation and further support cancer centres like the Faraja Cancer Support Trust in Kenya.
As a commitment towards this annual activity, the 2021 campaign will see up to 70 women receive a free mammogram screen test courtesy of Estée Lauder Companies – Sub Sahara Africa.
The relationship with Faraja Cancer Support Trust comes at a time when the Trust is raising funds through the Faraja Medical Support Fund (FMSF) with the aim of developing an effective system, which will enable adults, and children with cancer obtain the right treatment at the right time.
Further, it seeks to garner support from various groups with the vision and capacity to come together and make a meaningful and long-lasting impact by making donations into the fund.
The treatment that Faraja funds is provided at private and government institutions in Nairobi. Faraja aims to raise Kshs 100,000,000 (US$1,000,000), an amount that when invested, will ensure up to 50 patients receive treatment every year.
The fund will cover medical costs such as surgery, brachytherapy, chemotherapy, radiation and hormonal therapy.
In addition, the 2021 campaign has incorporated a new social media call-to-action campaign to rally supporters and raise funds.
Participants are required to show their pink ribbon and share their story. For every public in-feed Instagram or Facebook post during the month of October featuring the hashtags #BCCKenya, #TimeToEndBreastCancer and #ELCdonates together, The Estée Lauder Companies – Sub Sahara Africa will donate $10 towards The Faraja Cancer Support Trust, up to $5 000, 00.
In Kenya, cancer is the third leading cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular diseases. From 2012 to 2018, the annual incidence of cancer increased from 37,000 to 47,887 new cases. During the same period, annual cancer mortality rose almost 16 percent from 28,500 to 32,987 cancer-related deaths.
The number of new cancer cases is expected to rise by more than 120 percent over the next 2 decades. The five most common cancers in Kenya are breast, esophageal, cervical, prostate, and colorectal.
The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign remains rooted in its mission to create a breast cancer-free world – a vision that Mrs Evelyn H. Lauder set in motion for the long term over 25 years ago when she co-created the iconic Pink Ribbon and started The Campaign in 1992.
