KAN Launches Breast Cancer Awareness Initiative

The National Campaign for Cancer Awareness (Kaan) launched its breast cancer awareness initiative for October, the global month of cancer awareness, at the Radisson Blu hotel, under the slogan “Your Awareness is Your Pink Safety Belt.” This annual initiative, organized by Kaan for fifteen years, carries a single message: women’s awareness of their health is their safety belt, and societal awareness is the beginning of change, in a country where breast cancer remains the most diagnosed cancer among women.

In a statement to the media, Dr. Khaled Al-Saleh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Campaign for Cancer Awareness (Kaan), emphasized that early detection gives patients greater chances for effective treatment and better outcomes. He noted that data from the Cancer Registry places breast, thyroid, colon, and rectal cancers at the forefront of the most common types of cancer among women in Kuwait, with breast cancer being the most frequently diagnosed.

Dr. Al-Saleh pointed out that cancer data for 2022 recorded 459 new cases of breast cancer among Kuwaiti women, representing 40.4% of all new cancer cases diagnosed in women, with an age-standardized incidence rate of 70.1 cases per 100,000 women. He clarified that breast cancer was also the most diagnosed among non-Kuwaiti women, with 364 new cases recorded, accounting for 43% of cancer cases diagnosed in this group, and an age-standardized incidence rate of 45.7 cases per 100,000 women.

In her speech to the attendees, Dr. Hessa Al-Shahin, a Board Member of the Campaign and Head of the Breast Cancer Awareness Initiative, confirmed that Kaan has organized its annual initiative for fifteen years, extending throughout October, the global month of breast cancer awareness. She explained that this year’s launch is in partnership with the Sidra Association for Psychological Care for Cancer Patients, with gold sponsorship from Al-Mulla Group and Bin Omeida Company, and in collaboration with the International Women’s Group, which brings together women of various nationalities, to ensure the message reaches every woman living on Kuwaiti soil. She highlighted the distinctive coverage by the Media Office of the Ministry of Health and the active participation of the Health Promotion Department.

Dr. Al-Shahin expressed her pride in these partnerships and in every partner who carried the trust of the message, noting that they all contributed to expanding the initiative’s scope and diversifying its programs and activities. She remarked that a safety belt only fulfills its role when its sides meet, just as awareness only reaches its goal when efforts converge: the doctor provides knowledge, the media gives it a voice, art gives it a heart, community institutions open the path for it, and supporters ensure its continuity.

She stated that experience has proven that awareness, when planted, bears fruit. She explained that since 2010, Kaan has successfully trained 197,000 high school female students in self-examination and early detection, through the efforts of more than 1,000 physical education teachers who became trainers. Dr. Al-Shahin noted that each student brought what she learned home to her family, expanding the impact like ripples in water. She expressed her hope to transition this accumulated knowledge “from correct knowledge to behavior, and from behavior to a lifestyle culture.”

She added that awareness this year takes multiple forms, including exhibitions, lectures, training workshops, awareness meetings, community and sports activities, alongside printed materials and awareness resources that convey health information in a simple and accessible manner. She stressed that awareness is incomplete without the presence of media—newspapers, television and radio channels, and platforms—describing it as a partner that makes health messages accessible to all. She appreciated the participation of journalists and their coverage of the campaign’s events throughout October, which contributes to reaching the largest possible number of community members.

She also mentioned cooperation with the Syndicate of Artists and Media Professionals and participation in the art exhibition accompanying the opening ceremony, titled “When Art Speaks About Women… What Does It Say?” She explained that the answer is that art says what numbers cannot: women are strength, beauty, and generosity, and their health deserves to be a priority. Thus, art becomes another language of awareness and support.

At the same time, Dr. Al-Shahin expressed Kaan’s pride in the participation of “Dar Maken,” an entity spun off from the campaign, in this year’s initiative, noting that it focuses on training patients and survivors to become active members of society. She affirmed that caring for women’s health is a shared responsibility, and what is built together today will yield fruits for every family tomorrow. She extended her thanks to partners, sponsors, the esteemed media family, and everyone who contributed to preparing and implementing the initiative, as well as those who attended and participated in the launch of this awareness month. She concluded by reiterating that the message is one: “Your Awareness is Your Pink Safety Belt”… and societal awareness is the beginning of change.

At the end of the opening ceremony, several sponsoring and supporting entities were honored.