For the past several weeks, I have been seeing pink fabric wrapped around the trees on Camp Street. The project apparently is a campaign of the Avon Foundation and is intended to raise awareness of breast cancer in particular in Guyana. According to some data (from 2011) from the Ministry of Health, cancer is the third leading cause of death in Guyana with prostate, breast, lung, and cervical cancer being the main types. October has been designated breast cancer awareness month, with a church service, awareness walk, fundraising to provide free/low cost mammograms to women, and various other activities being carried out. This is all commendable but I would like to raise a few other points.
First and most problematic to me is the fact that the organisation doing this awareness raising is an arm of Avon Products – the largest direct seller of beauty products to women around the world. Their breast cancer awareness activities simultaneously double as free advertising for their brand and products. Now, almost everybody wants to look beautiful, right? And some go to great lengths to attain that, spending a lot of attention, time, and money on items they think will make them more attractive. This focus on outward appearance fuels countless businesses around the world; Avon is just one of many corporations profiting from it. However, many cosmetic and beauty products that we all use daily contain toxic chemicals that, over time, cause serious health problems – including cancer.
Cancer is a complex illness, with no single cause. However, experts and the research agree that lifestyle and environmental influences, along with genetic factors, play a major role in the disease. Unfortunately, much of the focus remains on early detection and treatment, instead of prevention. While early detection is indeed important and can be life-saving, it is essential, in my opinion, that equal-if not more attention-be paid to preventive measures as