Pinktober is the official breast cancer awareness month for the Samoa
Cancer Society. It is the month that the Samoan community both local and
overseas come together in solicarity with the color PINK towards
advocacy, education, awareness and fundraising activities of the Society.
It is a symbol of support and working together, as is the theme of
PINKTOBER 2023 – ‘Together we can make a difference’, ‘Ia tasi i
suiga manuia’.

For the Samoa Cancer Society who has been working tirelessly together
with our community in the past 21 years since its establishment, this
month is a highlight of its calendar year of awareness campaigns, to
promote and reinforce to our women, the importance of early detection,
recognising the signs and symptoms, seeking medical advice and learning
to do breast self-examinations.

At the Samoa Cancer Society, the number of registered cancer patients
recorded for the first half of 2023 reveals that there are more women than
men who have been diagnosed with cncer while the highest type of cancer
affecting women is breast cancer. It is our objective to help decrease the
prevalence and incidence of breast cancer in Samoa, by contributing to
and supporting the Ministry’s Health Sector Plan and the governments’
Strategy for the Development of Samoa.

As Patron of the Samoa Cancer Society, I am pleased to report that the
work of the Society continues to provide vital information and statistics to
the Health Sector that contributes to national policy planning and
implementation. The Samoa Cancer Society is an important stakeholder
and advocator to all consultations on cancer, tobacco control and NCD’s
for Samoa, and for which I am proud to be associated with.

We want a cancer free Samoa and whilst realistically, this may take a few
years to achieve, the Cancer Society in the meantime, will continue to
provide practical support that includes giving access to quality fo life,
access to mobility equipment, nutritional advice, emotional support and
home visits for patients and families that are living with cancer.

We play a big part in making things happen…the facilitation of helping
with travel and support plans for overseas treatment, creating a platform
with potential community donors and sponsors who are able to help out
financially, and advocationg to our health services for cancer medication
and some ongoing treatment needs, to be administered here at home.
This is what we do to help alleviate the financial and emotional
burden for cancer patients.

As individuals, the Health Ministry, the Samoa Cancer Society and
affilitated organisations, families and individuals affected, cannot do it
alone. We need to come ‘together to make a difference, Ia tasi i Suiga
manuia’, whether big or small in the lives of the women in our
community. We are seeing the difference daily. We thank You. Let’s make
it better with further support for PINKTOBER 2023, which I now declare
officially OPEN.

Faamanuia le Atua i Polokalame uma ma Fuafuaga Faataatitia o le
PINKTOBER 2023.

Faafetai ma ia manuia.