Nourhan, Egypt

I am Nourhan Hany, and I have been working at Baheya Foundation since 2019. I started as a member of the breast cancer awareness team and now I am head of awareness department. Global statistics show that early detection of breast cancer increases the chances of recovery by 98% to 100%, which emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about this disease.

We have successfully held a significant number of educational sessions, impacting a large population of women nationwide. We have conducted awareness campaigns in all governorates, in schools, companies, factories, churches, and universities. We strive to reach any place with a large gathering of women to provide the necessary awareness.

When we started, we faced many challenges, the most important of which was raising awareness. Unfortunately, many people do not want to know that they have cancer and even more do not have a culture of early detection. Others refuse even to hear the word ‘Cancer’ or talk about it, especially in places where there is limited educational access, such as villages and rural areas.

We had a great challenge in convincing these people of the importance of early detection to achieve the highest recovery rates. We learned to communicate effectively with each woman by acknowledging her social and cultural identity.

Our awareness sessions inspired a considerable number of women to seek medical attention at Baheya. Here, we understood that our efforts were significant, and the sessions content had a lasting impact. Additionally, a considerable number of women sought medical attention at other healthcare facilities.

The reason that has been driving me all along is my belief in every person's right to knowledge, and every woman's right to awareness, and that she knows all the necessary information about the disease, its symptoms, and how to detect it. My goal is to reach every woman in Egypt, ensuring they possess complete knowledge of breast cancer and have taken the crucial step of early detection. Early detection awareness must be cultivated across the nation.