The Association of Oncohematological Families of Lanzarote (AFOL) celebrated its fifth walk this Sunday in Haría on the occasion of World Breast Cancer Day, which is commemorated this Tuesday the 19th.
Under the slogan "We Walk Against Cancer", the event brought together 250 participants, which was the capacity allowed by Health. The first ones began to arrive at 9:30 a.m., to pick up the shirts and caps next to the stage in the Haría square, so that the streets of the town were dyed pink as the walkers passed.
The mayoress of the Haría City Council, Chaxiraxi Niz, was in charge of welcoming the municipality, “encouraging them to walk for Health” and above all congratulated them “for the implication of their collaboration for this cause”. Next, the president of AFOL, Carmen Arrocha, very excited by the public's response, read the manifesto corresponding to the "World Breast Cancer Day".
After the reading, and encouraged by the batucada 'Attenya', the tour began led by the mayoress Chaxiraxi Niz and the president Carmen Arrocha, followed by all the participants in a very lively atmosphere, following at all times the instructions of the Local Police, Civil Protection of Haría and the technicians of the City Council, Luisa Lemes and Carmen Sonia Acuña. Back in the square and to the rhythm of batucada, the final touch was put to a day of solidarity and vindication.
Manifesto Content
"On this World Breast Cancer Day, institutions, entities and patient organizations join together to demand a greater effort in research, treatment and comprehensive care for people with breast cancer.
Winning the battle against Cancer is one of the great challenges of the 21st century. Although the achievements in the diagnosis, treatment and knowledge of the disease are undeniable, there is still a long way to go.
To this end, we support and reinforce the importance of promoting "Research", whose objective is to bring advances closer to the patient and promote Centers with a deeper knowledge of Breast Cancer and a better approach to metastatic disease. These actions are vital to help prevent and detect them more accurately.
From A.F.O.L., we insist on the decisive importance of early detection practices and programs for Breast Cancer, because an early diagnosis is today the best way to achieve a significant reduction in the worst consequences of such an aggressive disease, developed by specialized personnel, convinced that a screening program can only be beneficial for public health and be profitable if it is applied systematically, if it covers the entire target population and if it follows the guidelines of best practices.
Likewise, we must pay particular attention to the growth in the number of women diagnosed with Breast Cancer before the age of 40. In these cases, women want to know the consequences of the treatments received and the relationship between fertility and people at risk before the natural end of their reproductive life appears more frequently. In these cases, it is advisable to inform about the possibility of preserving their fertility.
People who participate in the associative movement linked to health have experienced that uncertainty, anxiety and questions for which there is no immediate answer are joined by shared feelings when deficiencies, lack of support or need for help are detected.
Therefore, we insist that all public institutions, from the town hall, outpatient clinic, hospital, Cabildo, Province, Community... unite in Training, Prevention.
We work to ensure that any person, without any discrimination, has quality care in the area of Breast Cancer, including in that care the rights to access screening, a reliable diagnosis, correct treatment without unnecessary waiting, truthful and complete information, satisfactory control and postoperative care, if any, demanding and careful.
For A.F.O.L it is and will continue to be our goal, united with society, to win the battle of life, and to find our reality as people and as patients. Thank you. The Board of A.F.O.L"
