The Alola Foundation (FA) established a breast cancer centre in the capital Dili to provide specialised treatment for women affected by breast cancer.
FA’s Executive Director, Maria Imaculada Guterres, said the breast cancer centre was created through a program called Haliku, which has existed for 10 years within the Alola Foundation.
She said the real statistics show that many women in Timor-Leste die each year of breast cancer.
“The Alola Foundation established this breast cancer centre so that it becomes a treatment centre for women suffering from breast cancer,” she said.
She stated that the facility provides a safe and comfortable space for breast cancer patients to receive treatment and to recover.
“We provide hygienic conditions and emotional support to patients, as well as a safe environment,” she stressed.
She noted that FA has registered a total of 218 breast cancer patients, of whom 19 have since died.
FA’s new breast cancer centre received support from Esperansa Oan Timor (ETO) with $52,000 and from the Government of Japan with $72,000, totalling USD $124,000.
Meanwhile, youth Angelina da Silva said the breast cancer rate in the country continues to increase, and some women of productive age detect it while others lose their lives.
“It is very concerning, but breast cancer sometimes happens due to genetics, and sometimes from chemical substances in food,” she said.She said the government has a major responsibility to increase public awareness about breast cancer so that women gain knowledge for prevention and early detection to avoid mortality and disability.
