DBSV Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In partnership with Didi Bahini Samaj Victoria (DBSV) and Breast Screen Victoria (BSV), we have organised Breast-Screening program for Nepali women (visiting Aamaharu) during September 2019. Though our Awareness campaign is continued until the end of this month, the group screening program concluded on 24th of September with a successful screening of 44 women in four groups through different outlets of Breast Screen Victoria (Broadmeadows Centre, Epping Centre and Werribee Centre). Women participated were from various part of Melbourne, specifically from Glenroy, Broadmeadows, Dallas, Fawkner, Reservoir, Craigieburn, Lalor, Thomastown, Epping, Deer Park, Caroline Spring, Werribee, St. Albans, Wyndhamvale, and Geelong.

Each group was guided by our volunteer Team Leaders who passionately put their efforts to organise a group, to fill up the forms, to inform the family, to organise transport and to interpret to the clinic staff. We are very grateful and express our immense gratitude to our Leaders: Durga Parajuli, Rita Panta, Gita Panta, Anjana Nepal, Shova Poudel, Barsha KC Rajbhandary and Prabha Shrestha. We were so lucky to get their tremendous supports to make this program a huge success. We also express utmost thanks to many others who were directly and indirectly associated with the process of making this program successful to be able to bring a positive impact on women's life.

Breast screen Victoria team has been very impressed with the outcomes! DBSV is very proud to have signed MOU with Breast Screen Victoria to work together for the benefits of our community – especially for those mothers who were visiting us. Aamaharu were very emotional and happy to have this golden opportunity to screen for this sensitive disease- Breast cancer (refer DBSV live videos – expression from our mothers).

As Nepal does not have routine breast screening program into the health care system, most of the women were not aware of this screening test and the comprehension of the concept of screening was bit difficult for them. However, along with the education, and screening, it was a new learning for all of them. We (DBSV) massively received an enormous love, appreciations and blessings from our aamaharu. I think DBSV is a real blessed and would continue to do this screening program each year in September.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women around the world. Breast screening mammogram has been critical for the prevention of breast cancer and is considered one of the most effective methods of early detection and treatment. Nevertheless, many women in our community and country are unfortunately not able to access these services in regular basis.

Jamuna Parajuli
President|DBSV