Egypt’s Minister of Health, Hala Zayed, said that the ministry will launch a comprehensive breast cancer screening project throughout the nation.
This came upon President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s instructions during the celebration of Egyptian women and ideal mothers on Saturday, to begin a comprehensive examination of all Egyptian women for breast cancer.
Zayed said: “It is unfortunate that breast cancer is the second leading cause of death for women in Egypt, although the rate of infection in the country is similar to European countries and Japan, but the Egyptian mother prefers to spend her money on her children’s welfare, rather than treating herself.”
Meanwhile, Hussein Khalid, a member of the higher oncology committee affiliated to ministry of health, said: “Breast cancer represents 35.1% of total tumours affecting women in Egypt, with 23,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year.” It is lower than the incidence rates in Europe and the United States.
Zayed had addressed females during the Saturday celebration to pay attention to their health, to be keen on breastfeeding their children as much as possible, to maintain healthy weight by eating more fruits and vegetables.
The minister met last week with members of the national oncology committee and stressed the need to activate a unified protocol for the treatment of tumours, pointing out that the protocol used in Egypt is a combination of European and American protocols, commensurate with the health, social, and economic situation in Egypt.
In 2018, the ministry initiated a campaign for early breast cancer detection, benefiting over 23,000 women in 11 governorates.
