Representatives of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) and Novartis Vietnam sign a partnership on 'Raising awareness and enhancing support for women in the prevention and control of breast cancer in Việt Nam'. — Photo courtesy of the VWU

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) and Novartis Vietnam have partnered up in the programme 'Raising awareness and enhancing support for women in the prevention and control of breast cancer in Việt Nam'.

The initiative, scheduled to run from October 2024 to December 2026, aims to promote communications and enhance knowledge of breast cancer in the community. 

Vice Chairman of the VWU Nguyễn Thị Minh Hương said on October 30: “The partnership between the Vietnam Women's Union and Novartis Vietnam holds practical meaning, aiming to contribute to the Vietnam Women's Union’s essential mission of supporting women in healthcare, moving towards the goal of building 'Knowledgeable, Healthy Families.'

"The Presidium of the Central Vietnam Women's Union is confident that the implementation of this cooperative programme will empower women, promote gender equality, and contribute to the country’s broader efforts to achieve sustainable development goals."

The event is part of the APPIS (Alliance & Partnerships for Patient Innovation & Solutions) platform, developed and sponsored by Novartis to provide better healthcare quality for people in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa regions.

The programme includes a wide range of activities, such as community communications, aiming to raise awareness in breast cancer prevention and reduce stigma against diseases related to reproductive health.

At the same time, various forms of communication on social media and digital platforms will be implemented to help women access healthcare knowledge more easily and conveniently. This will encourage the habit of regular health check-ups and breast self examinations for early disease detection.

The programme also aims to organise inspirational events and develop a dedicated social network healthcare model for women with breast cancer, managed by VWU. These initiatives will not only promote community connections but also provide much-needed support and encouragement to women facing the disease.

Putting women at the centre, the programme’s activities will be developed based on listening to and understanding the needs of women and breast cancer patients themselves in accessing information about the disease. This will involve patient organisations such as the Resilient Women’s Club Network, Salt Cancer Initiative, and Community Medicine Organisation.

According to Globocan data in 2022, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among Vietnamese women, with 24,563 new cases reported, accounting for 28.9 per cent of cancer cases in women. This means that an estimated 24.5 out of every 100,000 people are newly diagnosed with breast cancer. The disease causes over 10,000 deaths each year, representing 8.3 per cent of total cancer-related deaths in Việt Nam. —VNS