Understanding cancer services and screening treatment for women is a step to breaking barriers, says Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa. She said 50 per cent of women would not seek further medical help or follow up after testing positive.

Ms Vuniwaqa was speaking during the Pinktober and Rights, Empowerment and Cohesion (REACH) programme celebration in Rakiraki, last Friday.

“Many women still resort to traditional herbal medicine when diagnosed and will only return to hospital when their families cannot handle the physical state of the patient,” she said.

She said that compared to other countries, Fiji has higher rates of cancer and that 98 per cent of iTaukei are likely to have breast cancer.

The minister reiterated that early detection was the key in the treatment for breast cancer.

Subashni Devi, 52, from Barotu in Ra said she was grateful to everyone who came out in numbers to support Pinktober last month.

“As a cancer survivor, I am thankful to everyone who came out in numbers to support the fight against breast cancer,” she said.

“Mostly I am grateful to the doctors, nurses and medical services for their endless patience and effort in helping people like me to be strong and survive.”

There was a team from the Medical Services Pacific that also held breast cancer awareness and screening.

Meanwhile, Ms Vuniwaqa said that the REACH programme was a smarter way to be productive and that the people of Rakiraki should take advantage of it.

“What we see here is a display of partnership and unity through the collaboration of different Government machineries, civil society organisations and statutory organisations,” she said.

“This is truly a smarter approach to be more productive. This is what Rights, Empowerment and Cohesion (REACH) is all about.”

The minister was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Jennier Poole, United Nations Resident Co-ordinator Sanaka Samarasinha and Acting Indian High Commissioner Sukanta Sahoo.

Meanwhile, during the talanoa session, most of the market vendors raised their grievances that most of them had missed out on the COVID-19 Concessional Loan Packages because they did not know how to write up business plans that were required for the loan.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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