Kinshasa, October 23rd, 2025 (CPA). – An awareness campaign for women, girls and vegetables growers on the fight against breast cancer was held on Thursday in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. « This October, dedicated to the global fight against breast cancer, reminds us that this disease particularly affects women and girls. As part of this event, our foundation, in collaboration with our Kindele vegetable-growing mothers, took the initiative to raise awareness with the support of a specialist doctor from the Ngada centre,‘ has said Estelle Saka-Saka, president of the foundation that bears her name.
’Today, the whole world is celebrating International Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Together with our partner here today, we have decided to organise a large awareness-raising session to mobilise all our structures, our members and the Congolese population around this noble cause, » she has added. According to Ms Saka-Saka, in the event of a positive diagnosis, 80% of the treatment will be provided free of charge, thanks to the joint support of the three partner foundations.
She took the opportunity to express her deep gratitude to the Ngada Centre for its valuable support and on-going commitment to the fight against breast cancer. ‘Breast cancer is a silent but deadly disease that affects many women here in the Democratic Republic of Congo and around the world,’ has said Ms Rosine Mapendo, president of the Mapendo Foundation. She has said that the main objective of the meeting was to give women a voice so that they could pass on what they had learnt about the essential steps to take to protect themselves. ‘We encourage all mothers to learn how to perform self-examinations at home and to consult a doctor immediately if they notice any symptoms,’ she has concluded. It should be noted that at the end of the meeting, the women were screened free of charge at the Ngada centre. Further tests will then be carried out to assess their state of health and detect any symptoms. Breast cancer is a malignant tumour that develops in the cells of the breast, mainly in the ducts or lobules. Symptoms include a lump or deformity in the breast or nipple, nipple discharge, bone pain, weight loss or jaundice.
The diagnosis is confirmed by tests such as mammography, ultrasound and biopsy, and treatment may involve surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy or hormone therapy. It is a major public health challenge in DRC, often diagnosed at an advanced stage due to taboo and the cost of screening. It is the leading cause of death among women, with factors such as poverty and problems accessing care making treatment difficult. Awareness-raising and screening efforts are being carried out despite these difficulties.