Gurugram : Yuvraj Singh, a cricketer and cancer survivor, is spearheading initiatives through his YouWeCan Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on cancer control in India. In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the foundation will organize breast cancer awareness camps across 17 states throughout October 2024. The states participating include Goa, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Delhi.
These camps will feature workshops designed to educate approximately 25,000 women about the importance of breast cancer awareness, the risk factors involved, and how to perform self-breast examinations for early detection. The initiative also includes free breast cancer screening sessions for around 10,000 women in under-resourced communities, aiming to facilitate early-stage detection.
Yuvraj Singh emphasized the critical nature of early detection, stating, “Early detection is the key to fighting cancer effectively. Through YouWeCan, we aim to raise awareness about breast cancer and provide free screenings nationwide. No one should lose their life due to a lack of knowledge or access to timely treatment.” The foundation has launched a campaign titled ‘Your Health is in Your Hands,’ which promotes the importance of regular self-examinations among women.
The ‘Your Health is in Your Hands’ campaign utilizes oranges as metaphors for breasts to highlight the significance of self-examination. It aims to inform women about the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and the importance of regular checks. The campaign will run on the women’s coach of the Yellow Line of the Delhi Metro and across the foundation’s social media platforms, expecting to reach approximately 1.5 lakh people in the metro and an additional 10 lakh via social media.
In India, a woman succumbs to breast cancer every eight minutes, largely due to inadequate awareness and delayed screenings. Currently, only 9% of women have undergone breast cancer screening, underscoring the urgency of such initiatives. YouWeCan Foundation has successfully screened over 1.22 lakh women for breast cancer and trained more than 2.48 lakh women on related issues through previous initiatives. The foundation’s efforts aim to empower women with the knowledge and resources necessary for early detection and treatment, contributing to a supportive community focused on awareness and prevention.
