Guyana Cancer Foundation officially launched

Following several years of conducting cancer awareness programmes through the then Avon Community Help Fund, the Guyana Cancer Foundation (GCF) was registered on June 1, 2016.

On Thursday, a launching ceremony was held to introduce the public to the work that it would be conducting in its continuous efforts to raise awareness of cancer prevention and treatment.

President of GCF, Bibi Hassan said her passion and dedication to help those in the low income bracket, allowed her to be entrusted to carry on the work Avon was undertaking.

“Over the years we, since the year 2005, started to teach women how to do the breast self examination for early detection and I must tell you and that system really really worked and six years after we were the first people to advocate for women to have the early mammogram and sonogram for early detection,” she noted.

The objective of the GCF is to provide assistance to low income, underinsured persons affected by cancer, to reintegrate cancer survivors into society, as Team member and Cancer survivor, Francine Leitch explained.

Counseling would also be offered to the families of persons who lost their battles with the disease.

The Foundation in collaboration with the Guyana Cancer Institute is offering cancer screening at a reduced cost of $5,500.

Several Corporate entities have thrown their support behind GCF including N&S Mattai, King’s Jewellery World, The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry and Shopper’s Pharmacy Inc, among several others.

The Foundation’s president is calling on other organizations to come on board and assist in this worthy cause of bringing the much need assistance to persons afflicted with the dreaded disease.

In the month of October several activities are also planned with the first being a Tree Wrapping on October 3 at Camp and Lamaha streets, Cancer awareness sessions on October 5 and 6, A church service on October 9 at the Brickdam Cathedral from 17:00 hours, Wear it pink Friday on October 21 and the Cancer fitness Walk on October 22 commencing at 6:00 hours.

The vision of the entity is “to be the beacon of stopping cancer before it starts through education and support.”

The GCF’s office is located at 5 Public Road La Penitence.