Barbadians are being encouraged to support this year’s Sagicor Globeathon walk to hit back at below the belt cancers.
On Sunday September 7, Sagicor Life Inc and Globe-athon under the auspices of the Barbados Cancer Society partners, volunteers, and concerned citizens will walk in support of the Barbados Cancer Society to join in the fight to reduce the incidence and impact of gynaecological cancers including cervical cancer.
Globeathon is a coalition of more than 80 countries dedicated to unifying communities around the world to raise awareness, education and research on Gynaecological cancer. In Barbados, walkers will assemble at the Bay Street Esplanade for a Crossfit Islandfit warm-up session at 3:30 pm before hitting the road at 4 pm.
Eric Clarke, a running enthusiast who is responsible for planning the route of last year’s and this year’s Globeathon.
Assistant Vice President, Marketing, Sagicor Life Inc, Tracey Knight-Lloyd said the company readily identified with the main goals of Globeathon Barbados, and was therefore keen to support the iniative which aimed to educate women and encourage early screening for below the belt cancers.
“Too many of our women are dying or otherwise having their health negatively impacted by below the belt cancers during their most productive years,” Knight-Lloyd said.
“Medical research indicates that cervical cancer is preventable in 95 per cent of cases. At Sagicor we support wise thinking for life which, in this case, means education, awareness, vaccination and early detection to save the lives of our women.”
Meanwhile, team captain for the Barbados leg of the Globeathon relay is Gynaecologic Oncologist Dr Vikash Chatrani, a clinical Director of the Barbados Cancer Society. He noted that even though cervical cancer is 95 per cent preventable, 31,700 women in the Caribbean and Latin America continue to die from it every year.
“Globeathon Barbados is determined to increase awareness, educate and initiate early screening for our women, and this annual international relay shows how one step can make a world of difference. Every effort is important whether on an individual or corporate level and we encourage everyone to play their part. This year the event is sponsored by Sagicor Life Inc and we truly appreciate how keen they have been in demonstrating their support for this cause,” Chatrani said.
According to Chatrani, $56 000 was raised in last year’s Globeathon and that was put towards a special fund to improve women cancer services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
During a press conference to announce the Globeathon held at Sagicor’s, Wildey, St Michael, location this morning, president of the Barbados Cancer Society Dr Dorothy Cooke-Johnson thanked sponsors of the worthy cause and urged Barbadians to support it as the hospital needed many basic amenities to deal with below
the belt cancers.
The society has been providing low-cost early detection clinics for 34 years since it was founded in 1980.
“During the 1990s, the number of women dying from cervix cancer went down to 14, and then one year to nine. Latest figures show it has climbed back up to 19 deaths. . .,” the president said.
(AH/PR)