Breast Cancer Slowdown Campaign with Sofonie Dala - Angola. Part 2

Breast Cancer Slowdown Campaign -Angola

YOU DON`T HAVE TO FACE IT ALONE.

WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER!

Cheerful greetings! 

Welcome everyone to the second part of our Breast Cancer Slowdown Campaign. The movement intends to "sensitize Angolan women to the importance of early diagnosis in breast cancer prevention"!

The dark side of cancer. In-depth interview - very sentimental

Good evening!

Please introduce yourself!

My name is Lina Comboio. Sofonie, thank you for inviting me on your show to talk about breast cancer. I support this program.

I am happy to participate on the 22nd of October, which marks breast cancer worldwide.

Well, the world was marked on October 19, 2021, and Angola was not left out, so we are here to continue this movement!

Lina, can you tell me how breast cancer affected your family's life?

Yes, I am here to make my contribution.

Was there anyone with this disease in your family?

Yes, cancer entered my family in a very mysterious and very silent way. Cancer affected my mother's health. Cancer took my mother with it.

There are two types of cancer, benign and malignant. Unfortunately my mother had malignant tumor, which had no way of doing surgery other than undergoing chemotherapy procedures.

When was this disease discovered in your mother?

The disease was discovered 2 years ago, and she lived with this disease for 2 years.

How did the family react?

We react very badly. In the beginning we didn't know what it was or the cause of the disease. We couldn't tell if it was cancer, pneumonia or tuberculosis. There were moments of great anguish, we were all afflicted and depressed. It was a very sorry situation.

Was the first treatment she had appropriate for this disease?

It was not an appropriate treatment for cancer because the doctors thought it was tuberculosis. They prescribed lots of medication that only made her situation worse. She went to a sanatorium hospital where tuberculosis was wrongly diagnosed, the doctors gave her lots of pills for her to take but it made her very sick and it didn't improve her health at all.

So we decided to take her to the military hospital to see what's really going on with my mother. In this hospital it was discovered and diagnosed that she had Cancer. She was hospitalized there and after a while she was transferred to oncology hospital of Angola-Maria Pia.

How long did you fight the disease?

We fought for 2 years. Unfortunately she didn't resist.

She passed away? When?

Unfortunately she didn't make it and died this year, 2 months ago.

It is a very big loss.

Yes, it was a very strong loss. Which so far I haven't gotten over it and I don't know when I'll get over it, this is so sad, very sad indeed. Sometimes we lose something but mother's love is very strong, we can't get over it when we lose mother's love. I'm very sad, I don't like to remember this.

Alright Lina, we understand your loss and we are with you in this moment of pain!

Here in Angola and in the world we have many women who were also affected by breast cancer and some do not know that they carry this disease and end up dying without being helped. As someone who has had contact with this disease, you know that cancer exists and is real. What advice would you give to other women:

- Those who also have cancer and do not know about it

- Those who do not have it but should be prevented

- And those who are afraid, to break the silence and ask for help?

Well, I would like to advise women that it is very good to always do the Check-up to see how our health is going. We must always visit the doctor to consult our body.

By providing public health education to improve awareness among women of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and, together with their families, understand the importance of early detection and treatment, more women would consult medical practitioners when breast cancer is first suspected, and before any cancer present is advanced. This is possible even in the absence of mammographic screening that is impractical in many countries at the present time.

Exclusive interview with nurse Gonçalves Maxinde

Watch the video on youtube for full translation. Click on the “Settings” icon, select “Subtitles/CC,” and then click “Auto Translate.”

Good morning, it's pink October, breast cancer month. We invited the nurse Gonsalves Maxinde to make some brief remarks about breast cancer as well as explain how this situation is in Angola.

Good morning, I welcome everyone to this online event. Today we are going to talk about breast cancer.

My name is Gonsalves Baltazar Maxinde, I am a general nurse. I have been working for 4 years in the emergency bank of the Malanjino Health Center.

We know that pink October is the month that stands out the most, and with the greatest coverage the world talks about this topic. This does not mean that in another months we should not talk about breast cancer with such force.

Breast cancer is a public health disease that affects women's breasts. Every woman of legal age should have a culture of self-examination, normally every morning with her hands raised, she should touch her breasts to see if she doesn't have a lump.... [Watch the video on YouTube for full translation. Click on the “Settings” icon, select “Subtitles/CC,” and then click “Auto Translate.”]

Campaign report

The Angolan Cancer Control Institute adopted a strategy to carry out screening for the disease in places of large population agglomeration, which allowed the diagnosis of 958 new cases, of which 232 of breast cancer, 26 of the prostate and 159 of the uterine cervix. In relation to breast cancer, there was a decrease in the number of cases, because in previous years there were generally more than 300 cases registered.

In Angola, the approach to the importance of breast self-examination in preventing cancer of this organ is still quite deficient, many patients seek the services of the local Oncology Center when the disease is at an advanced stage, which has been making it difficult to treat the disease and they end up dying with the cancer, leaving the families destitute."

Unfortunately, in the country there are not so many hospitals and highly qualified doctors to detect the disease in the first aid, as a result they end up making misdiagnoses, which worsens the patient's health even more.

However, this campaign was developed from the perspective of raising awareness and sensitize Angolan women to the importance of early diagnosis in breast cancer prevention".

Our online Breast Cancer Slowdown program is made up of only 4 Hybrid Docuseries based on real stories and was specially developed for this weekend.

We are sorry that some of you were not able to attend the first part of this campaign. We think that you might be interested in and benefit from watching the entire campaign.

In case you missed out, you can still watch the campaign recordings  by clicking to this link: https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2021/10/breast-cancer-slowdown-campaign-with.html

Scope of the problem

In 2020, there were 2.3 million women diagnosed with breast cancer and 685 000 deaths globally. As of the end of 2020, there were 7.8 million women alive who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 5 years, making it the world’s most prevalent cancer. Breast cancer occurs in every country of the world in women at any age after puberty but with increasing rates in later life.  

Who is at risk?

Breast cancer is not a transmissible or infectious disease. There are no known viral or bacterial infections linked to the development of breast cancer.

Approximately half of breast cancers develop in women who have no identifiable breast cancer risk factor other than gender (female) and age (over 40 years). Certain factors increase the risk of breast cancer including increasing age, obesity, harmful use of alcohol, family history of breast cancer, history of radiation exposure, reproductive history (such as age that menstrual periods began and age at first pregnancy), tobacco use and postmenopausal hormone therapy.

Behavioural choices and related interventions that reduce the risk of breast cancer include:

• prolonged breastfeeding;
• regular physical activity;
• weight control;
• avoidance of harmful use of alcohol;
• avoidance of exposure to tobacco smoke;
• avoidance of prolonged use of hormones; and  
• avoidance of excessive radiation exposure.

Unfortunately, even if all of the potentially modifiable risk factors could be controlled, this would only reduce the risk of developing breast cancer by at most 30%.

Female gender is the strongest breast cancer risk factor.  Approximately 0.5-1% of breast cancers occur in men. 

Treatment

Breast cancer treatment can be highly effective, achieving survival probabilities of 90% or higher, particularly when the disease is identified early. Treatment generally consists of surgery and radiation therapy for control of the disease in the breast, lymph nodes and surrounding areas (locoregional control) and systemic therapy (anti-cancer medicines given by mouth or intravenously) to treat and/or reduce the risk of the cancer spreading (metastasis). Anti-cancer medicines include endocrine (hormone) therapy, chemotherapy and in some cases targeted biologic therapy (antibodies).

Donate

There are a number of ways to support those affected by breast cancer. Whether helping the community as a whole or donating in honor of or in memory of a loved one, each donation helps sustain our mission to educate the community and fight to end breast cancer.

Your gift means we can bring hope to cancer patients. Together we are fighting cancer smarter, better and harder than we ever have before. Thank you for your support.

Saudi Arabia pledges 2060 target of net-zero emissions

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — One of the world’s largest oil producers, Saudi Arabia, announced Saturday it aims to reach “net zero” greenhouse gas emissions by 2060, joining more than 100 countries in a global effort to try and curb man-made climate change.

Although the kingdom will aim to reduce emissions within its own borders, there is no indication Saudi Arabia will slow down investments in oil and gas or relinquish sway over energy markets by moving away from the production of fossil fuels. Energy exports form the backbone of Saudi Arabia’s economy, despite efforts to diversify revenue as the world increasingly looks to transition away from reliance on fossil fuels. The country is forecast to make $150 billion in revenue this year from oil alone.

The announcement, made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in scripted remarks at the start of the kingdom’s first-ever Saudi Green Initiative Forum, was timed to make a splash before the start of the global COP26 climate conference being held in Glasgow, Scotland. The prince vowed Saudi Arabia will plant 450 million trees and rehabilitate huge swaths of land by 2030, reducing more than 270 million tons of carbon emissions a year and attempting to turn the landlocked city of Riyadh into a more sustainable capital.

The kingdom joins the ranks of Russia and China on their stated net-zero target date of 2060. The United States and the European Union have aimed for 2050.

In making the announcement, analysts say the kingdom ensures its continued seat at the table in global climate change talks. Saudi Arabia has pushed back against those who say fossil fuels must be urgently phased out, warning that a premature switch could lead to price volatility and shortages. Recently leaked documents show how the kingdom and other nations are lobbying behind the scenes ahead of the COP26 summit to change language around emissions.

In transitioning domestically, the kingdom could also take the oil and gas that it subsidizes locally and allocate it as a more lucrative export to China and India, where demand is expected to grow in the coming years.

“The kingdom’s economic growth is driven by export of its energy sources. It’s no state secret,” Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said at the forum in Riyadh.

 

Saudi Arabia says it will reach net-zero through a so-called “Carbon Circular Economy” approach, which advocates “reduce, reuse, recycle and remove.” It is an unpopular strategy among climate change activists because it touts still unreliable carbon capture and storage technologies rather than honing in on the phasing out of fossil fuels.

The announcement provided few details on how the kingdom will cut its emissions in the short- and medium term, including when it will peak its emissions. Experts say sharp cuts are needed worldwide as soon as possible to ensure the world has a chance of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) as agreed in the 2015 Paris accord.

The kingdom — home to roughly 17% of proven petroleum reserves — supplies some 10% of global oil demand. As OPEC’s heavyweight, Saudi Arabia holds tremendous influence over energy markets and can pressure other producers to fall in line, as seen last year when the kingdom triggered a price war that successfully got Russia to curb its production amid a slowdown in demand from the pandemic.

Saudi Arabia said the transition to net zero carbon emissions “will be delivered in a manner that preserves the kingdom’s leading role in enhancing the security and stability of global energy markets.”

Gulf oil producers argue against the rapid phasing out of fossil fuels by saying that a hurried shift would hurt low-income nations and populations that lack access to basic energy. Saudi Arabia also advocates for language that refers to greenhouse gases, a basket that includes more than just fossil fuels.

“We believe that carbon capture, utilization and storage, direct air capture, hydrogen and low carbon fuel are the things that will develop the necessary ingredients to really make sure this effort will be inclusive,” Prince Abdulaziz said of the global energy transition.

Earlier this month, the United Arab Emirates — another major Gulf Arab energy producer — announced it too would join the “net zero” club of nations by 2050. The UAE, home to the region’s first nuclear power plant, did not announce specifics on how it will reach this target.

Leaked documents, first reported by the BBC, show how Saudi Arabia and other countries, including Australia, Brazil and Japan, are apparently trying to water down an upcoming U.N. science panel report on global warming before the COP26 summit. Greenpeace, which obtained the leaked documents, said Saudi Arabia is enabling nations to continue burning fossil fuels by pushing carbon capture technology. The group says these “as-yet unproven technologies” would allow nations to emit more greenhouse gases on the optimistic assumption that they could draw them out of the atmosphere later.

Fossil fuels, such as crude oil, natural gas and coal, currently make the bulk of global energy consumption. Just 10% of electricity is generated by solar power and wind.

On Saturday, Prince Abdulaziz said every nation’s approach to cut emissions will look different.

“No one should be too facetious about what tool in the kit that everybody would have,” he said. “But if your tools in your kit and mine delivers emissions reductions, that’s the ask and that’s the objective,” he said.

Britain’s Prince Charles was among those participating in the Riyadh forum. In virtual remarks, he pointed to how the Middle East’s temperatures are also rising, threatening the region’s habitability.

President Joe Biden’s climate envoy, John Kerry, is expected in Riyadh on Sunday and Monday, where he will meet with officials and take part in the three-day forum.

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Associated Press writer Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.

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Follow Aya Batrawy on twitter at https://twitter.com/ayaelb

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Cricket: How Namibia sealed one of T20 World Cup’s biggest shocks

Namibia, ranked a lowly 19, reached the Super 12 round of the T20 World Cup second after shocking Ireland.

Namibia’s cricket team, ranked a lowly 19, reached the T20 World Cup second round for the first time with a stunning eight-wicket win over Ireland.

They now go into the Super 12 stage where they face former winners India and Pakistan, as well as New Zealand, Afghanistan and Scotland.

Namibia coach Pierre de Bruyn revealed on Friday that his World Cup history-making team in the shortest Twenty20 format has been assembled with just 18 players to choose from in the country.

“We are not an organisation with the luxury of a lot of resources around us,” said de Bruyn. “I’ve got 18 players to pick from in my national squad and I know what they’ve put in for the last three years. It sounds like a cliche that the hard work has paid off, but it certainly did and I’m really ecstatic for the players.”

On Friday, Namibia chased down their modest 126 with skipper Gerhard Erasmus making an unbeaten 53.

“We are a small country, a small number of people play cricket. We should be proud of ourselves,” said Erasmus.

Namibia finished behind Sri Lanka in Group A after the 2014 champions dismissed the Netherlands for just 44, the second-lowest total in tournament history, for an eight-wicket win.

Sri Lanka will be grouped with England, Australia, South Africa, defending champions West Indies and Bangladesh in the Super 12.

“We are ecstatic, I’ve got to remind myself what just happened out there, but it has happened to a really good group of people,” added de Bruyn. “It’s time for us to reflect and also enjoy this moment, but we certainly didn’t come here to go and lie down now.

“Facing India, Pakistan and New Zealand, those types of teams, is going to be a great experience for these players but we want to be competitive in whatever we do, with ball, bat and in the field.

“The way we present ourselves, we are going to compete, and we are looking forward to that.”

Namibia’s captain Gerhard Erasmus and David Wiese, right, celebrate their victory [Karim Sahib/AFP]

Erasmus hit three boundaries and a six in his 49-ball innings, while David Wiese, who played for South Africa in the 2016 World Cup, was undefeated on 28.

“I count on my senior men to stand up when the pressure is on. And two of us did it tonight. Hopefully, we can do it through the tournament,” said Erasmus who put on 53 for the third wicket with Wiese.

Wiese smashed two sixes and a boundary in his 14-ball innings which was a whirlwind in comparison to Namibia’s sedate early progress.

As well as securing the last place in the Super 12 stage, Namibia are also guaranteed a spot in the 2022 tournament in Australia.

SOURCE: AFP

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Gunmen attack Nigeria prison, free dozens of inmates: Official

Jailbreak at Oyo correctional centre in the country’s southwest is the third to occur this year.

Gunmen have attacked a prison in southwestern Nigeria, freeing dozens of inmates, according to an official.

Olanrewaju Anjorin, a spokesman of the Oyo correctional centre in Oyo state, told The Associated Press news agency on Saturday that the gunmen attacked the facility late on Friday night.

“I can’t ascertain the number of people that escaped or that were recaptured, but I am telling you that the security has been beefed up around the custodial centre and the town,” he said, adding that an investigation had been opened.

Francis Enobore, of the Nigerian Prisons Service, also confirmed the incident and said he was on his way to the attacked facility.

Friday’s attack is the third this year in Nigeria, where jailbreaks are becoming more frequent and police only capture a fraction of those who escape. Lagos-based online newspaper TheCable reported in July this year that at least 4,307 inmates had escaped from prisons since 2017, based on compiled media reports.

In 2021 alone, more than 2,000 inmates were freed in two earlier jailbreaks: on September 13, when 240 inmates were freed after gunmen attacked a detention facility in north-central Kogi state with explosives; and on April 5, when at least 1,800 were freed in the southeast Imo state when another facility was also blown up.

Most of the recent jailbreaks in Nigeria seem not to be connected although the attacks are carried out in a similar manner with the use of explosives. Authorities have managed to rearrest some escaped inmates, sometimes in neighbouring states, while others return willingly.

A good number of those who have escaped in such attacks are yet to be convicted and still awaiting trial. Nigerian prisons hold 70,000 inmates but only about 20,000, or 27 percent, have been convicted, according to government data. Human rights groups say prisons are often overcrowded and legal procedures inefficient.

SOURCE: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Kenya surpasses global average of female board directors

Kenya has outperformed the global average of female board directors after witnessing significant progress in board diversity and inclusion in the last nine years, a new report shows.

According to the 2021 Board Diversity and Inclusion Survey report released in Nairobi last week, Kenya’s gender diversity in the boardroom now stands at 36 per cent, a significant growth from 21 per cent in 2017.

Currently, the global average of women holding board positions stands at 23.3 per cent up from 20.4 per cent in 2018.

The report undertaken by the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) in partnership with Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), New Faces New Voices (NFNV) and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) observes that women constitute 21 per cent of the appointed board chairpersons, while the global average is three per cent.

Female representation in C-suite roles in Kenya constitutes 37 per cent compared to 21 per cent globally, with the average age of Kenyan board members now standing at 47.6 years down from 55.8 years in 2017.

Education level

A 2015 report by the Africa Development Bank showed that Kenya had the highest percentage of women in boards in Africa at 19.8 per cent, followed by Ghana (17.7 per cent) and South Africa (17.4 per cent).

The 2017 Board Diversity and Inclusion Survey by the KIM and the NSE placed the number at 21 per cent up from 12 per cent in 2012.

The report reveals that gender and age are critical components in driving organisational performance, decision-making and productivity.

Education level and nationality the report says, influence organisational performance to some extent with professional, ethnic, and religion also having an effect on organisational performance, board decision-making process and productivity.

Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizens Affairs and Special Programs Cabinet Secretary Prof Margaret Kobia, who was the chief guest at the launch, noted that the vigour with which data was collected and analysed yields new insights on the impact of diversity and how to make it work.

Financial success

“We all stand to learn from the authors’ methodology and findings. At a minimum, future sustainability and financial success demand representation, equity and inclusion,” said Prof Kobia.

Dr Muriithi Ndegwa the Chief Executive Officer at KIM said his organisation recognizes that diversity and inclusion are essential components of a company’s leadership and governance.

“As champions of best practice in governance and management, KIM has made substantial progress over the years; and now we are intensifying our efforts to create a more inclusive, diverse and supportive community,” he said.

NSE Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Odundo, observed that diversity in the corporate world is a true developmental issue, which needs to be embraced in Kenya.

“The NSE is playing its part by continuously supporting research on gender equality matters such as this board diversity report, which we believe will bring out real issues that need to be addressed to attain gender equality in our market,” Mr Odundo said.

Gender mainstreaming

To address some of the barriers that limit optimisation of board diversity and inclusion, Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) CEO Carole Kariuki said they are in the final stages of developing a ‘policy framework for gender mainstreaming in the private sector’ to ensure inclusivity at corporate leadership and the workforce.

Ms Kariuki also revealed that Kepsa is undertaking a gender-based violence (GBV) advocacy program in the private sector to create an enabling environment for its elimination, scaling up evidence-driven prevention programs and accessible services for survivors through private sector intervention to complement government efforts.

The initiative is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and championed by the Kepsa GBV and mental health sub-sector board.

Kepsa Gender and SMEs Director Eva Muraya, noted they are confident the study will strengthen diversity and inclusion in public and private institutions.

New Faces New Voices interim chair Makena Mworia, observed that more still needs to be done to achieve parity even as Kenya celebrates the progress made in gender diversity in boardrooms.

Diversity and transparency

“We, therefore, urge greater diversity and transparency when selecting women for key positions and more youthful representation, which is reflective of our young demographic,” she said.

Despite the marked increase in representation of women in senior leadership and C-suite positions’, the report observes that the journey to parity is still long.

The study aims to provide insights into best practices to drive parity by the year 2030, as enshrined in the social pillar of the Vision 2030 blueprint.

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Russian COVID spike persists, setting new death record

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia is reporting a record high number of coronavirus infections and COVID-19 deaths as the country approaches a week of nonworking days aimed at stemming the sharp surge in cases.

The national coronavirus task force said Saturday that 1,075 people had died from the virus in the past day and that 37,678 new infections were tallied — the largest single-day numbers of the pandemic.

The daily death toll is about 33% higher than that recorded in late September and infection cases have risen by about 70% in the past month.

Only about one-third of Russia’s 146 million people have been vaccinated, frustrating officials and placing a strain on the country’s health-care system.

Facing widespread resistance to vaccination, President Vladimir Putin has responded to the worsening situation by ordering Russians to stay away from work between Oct. 30 and Nov. 7.

Many regions are imposing additional restrictions, including closing gyms, theaters and sit-down service at restaurants or restricting them to customers who can show QR codes confirming that they are fully vaccinated.

Overall, Russia has recorded about 8.2 million cases of coronavirus infection and 229,528 deaths, according to the task force. However, that toll counts only deaths attributed directly to the virus; the national statistics service Rosstat has reported tens of thousands of deaths in which the virus was considered to be a contributing factor.

Russia was the first country in the world to authorize a coronavirus vaccine, launching Sputnik V in August 2020, and has plentiful supplies. But uptake has been slow, blamed in part on conflicting signals from authorities.

While extolling Sputnik V and three other domestic vaccines, state-controlled media often criticized Western-made shots, a message that many saw as feeding doubts about vaccines in general.

Putin has deplored Russians’ vaccine hesitancy, saying that “there are just two options for everyone — to get sick, or receive a vaccine. And there is no way to walk between the raindrops.”

Asked if Russia could make vaccines mandatory, Putin said this week he believes they should remain voluntary.

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