SPEECH BY THE BREAKTHROUGH CANCER TRUST CHAIRPERSON: MARY VANTRAN

KITWE, ZAMBIA

 

 

THE GUEST OF HONOR, DOCTOR URMILA SUNDARAM, ALL SENIOR MEMBERS OF MANAGEMENT FROM BARCLAYS BANK ZAMBIA PLC, ALL CORPORATE, BUSINESS HOUSES PRESENT HERE, HEALTH PRACTITIONERS, CANCER SURVIVORS AND CO-SURVIVORS, ALL SUPPORTERS AND ADVOCATES OR SHOULD I SIMPLY SAY FELLOW WALKERS.

 

ON BEHALF OF BREAKTHROUGH CANCER TRUCT (BCT) I WISH TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THIS FIRST EVER BREAST CANCER SENSITIZATION AND FUNDRAISING WALK DUBBED ‘STAND UP AND SUPPORT’ , WHICH HAS TAKEN PLACE ON THE COPPERBELT THIS MORNING, AND TO BE MORE SPECIFIC HERE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY OF KITWE, WHERE WE HAVE RECEIVED TREMENDOUS SUPPORT FROM CORPORATE, BUSINESS HOUSES, HEALTH PRACTITIONERS, THE MEDIA AND INDIVIDUALS. YOUR DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO PARTNER WITH BCT HAS MADE THIS AWARENESS WALK A GREAT SUCCESS.

 

BCT PIONEERED THE FORMATION OF BREAST CANCER SUPPORT GROUPS IN THE YEAR 2000 AND DESPITE SUFFERING SEVERAL SETBACKS FOLLOWING THE DEMISE OF A NUMBER OF SENIOR MEMBERS, WE HAVE NOT RELENTED IN OUR QUEST TO BRING RELIEF TO THOSE THAT ARE DIAGNOSED AND AFFLICTED WITH BREAST CANCER, WHICH IS THE SECOND FEMALE CANCER KILLER AFTER CEVICAL CANCER. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT WE ARE REPOSITIONING OURSELVES BY TAKING BREAST HEALTH AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS TO ALL PROVINCES IN ZAMBIA.

 

TODAY OUR EMPHASIS IS TO ENCOURAGE EACH ONE OF US TO DEVELOP A CULTURE OF BREAST SELF EXAMINATION IN ORDER TO DETECT BREAST CANCER EARLY BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST LINE TO SAVING LIFE.

 

I WISH TO THANK THE CANCER DISEASES HOSPITAL FOR THE SUPPORT THEY HAVE GIVEN BCT SINCE THEY WERE COMMISSIONED IN 2007.

 

OUR HEARTFELT GRATITUDE GOES TO THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ENABLED BCT ACHIEVE MOST OF ITS GOALS:

 

BARCLAYS BANK ZAMBIA PLC

SANDVIK MINING

HILLVIEW HOSPITA

PARKLANDS SHOPPING CENTRE MANAGEMENT

ENGEN SERVICE STATION

THE DISTRICT HEALTH MANAGEMENT TEAM AND KITWE CENTRAL HOSPITAL

KITWE DISTRICT COUNCIL

ST MARGRET’S UCZ

KITWE SURGERY

ZNBC

COPPERBELT UNIVERSITY

COPPERSTONE UNIVERSITY

TINA CLINIC

MTN

SPECIALITY FOODS

SHOPRITE

COPPERBELT WASTE MANAGEMENT

CHAMBOLI MAJORETTES

ST MAGRET’S BOYS BRIGADE

SENTIMENTS GIFT SHOP

CATWALK BOUTIQUE

AVOCADO BEAUTY SPA

ALL SPORTS MANDA HILL

INVESTRUST

CAPITAL FISHERIES

G4S SECURITY

QUALITY BAKERY

QUALITY BEEF

FAMILY FAVOURITES

MR SILWAMBA STATE COUNSEL

ACCESS BANK

RADIO PHONIEX

MR PRICE

THE SUN RIDGEWAY HOTEL

THE INTER COMPANY RELAY

STANCHART

 

AND A LOT OTHERS WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS

 

TO YOU ALL I SAY LET US CONTINUE WITH OUR CRUSADE TO BRING EARLY DETECTION OF BREAST CANCER IN EVERY ZAMBIAN HOUSEHOLD.

 

___________________________________________________

SPEECH BY THE GUEST OF HONOUR: DR URMILA SUNDARAM

KITWE CITY SQUARE

 

 

SALUTATION

 

FELLOW WALKERS, ON BEHALF OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND THE DISTRICT HEALTH MANAGEMENT TEAM, I WISH TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THIS ‘STAND UP AND SUPPORT’ BREAST HEALTH AWARENESS AND FUNDRAISING WALK ORGANISED BY BREAKTHROUGH CANCER TRUST. I FEEL HONOURED AND PRIVILEDGED TO OFFICIATE AT THIS VERY IMPORTANT OCCASION THAT BRINGS THE PARTNERSHIP OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS CLOSER TO THE COMMUNITY, A PRACITCE WHICH WE IN THE HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY ARE AND WILL CONTINUE ENCOURAGING.

 

 

(MEDICAL……………………………………………………….)

 

CONCLUSION

 

I WISH TO COMMEND BCT FOR THEIR INITIATIVE TO BRING THE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO OUR CITY KITWE AND HOPE THAT NEXT YEAR THEY WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN AND DO EVEN MORE. OUR OFFICES WILL REMAIN OPEN TO FACLITATE ALL MEDICAL INPUT YOU MAY REQUIRE AT ANY GIVEN TIME. AT THE END OF MY SPEECH, MY TEAM WILL OFFET FREE BREAST CANCER SCREENING TO ALL THAT WISH TO HAVE THEIR BREAST HEALTH STATUS KNOWN.