This Thursday, following a breast cancer awareness session at Mabom Health Centre, our team offered clinical breast examinations to women who wished to be examined.
Why is this examination so important in Sierra Leone, particularly in rural areas?
Mammography, an essential tool in breast cancer screening, unfortunately remains largely inaccessible. It costs approximately €40–50 and is only available at a few private hospitals in Freetown. This is simply too expensive for the majority of the population!
In this context, clinical breast examination is a valuable, accessible and relatively affordable tool for identifying potential abnormalities.
Healthcare professionals therefore play a crucial role. Through visual inspection and palpation of the breasts, they can identify suspicious signs and refer patients to facilities where further investigations, such as breast ultrasound and, when necessary, a biopsy, can be performed.
Our message is simple: every woman deserves access to early detection and appropriate care.
Raising awareness, examining, referring: these are all actions that can help save lives!
Together, let us continue fighting breast cancer and making healthcare more accessible to women in rural communities across Sierra Leone. 
