Pulse.ng : BEACON Calls for Inclusive Care Systems to Support Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients

By Sani Idris Abdulrahman

A Kaduna-based NGO, the BEACON of Transformative and Inclusive Development Center, has called for an inclusive care systems to support metastatic breast cancer patients.

In a statement on Monday in Kaduna, commemorating the Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day, the Executive Director of the BEACON, Mrs Abigail Olatunde, said every October, the world turns pink to raise awareness about breast cancer, but for millions living with metastatic breast cancer, awareness is not a campaign, but a lifelong journey of courage and resilience.

She noted that as the world marks Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day, there is a need to honour the strength of those living with the condition and reflect on care systems that accompany patients through every stage of their illness.

She explained that behind every diagnosis lies a story of endurance and interrupted dreams, of families balancing hope with reality.

She observed that for some, it begins with late detection, while for others, it stretches through years of treatment and uncertainty.

Olatunde emphasised that what unites the individuals is not the disease itself, but the will to live fully in spite of it.

She stated that people living with metastatic breast cancer deserve more than sympathy.

"They deserve continuity of care, social protection. Cancer is not only a medical challenge but also a test of the healthcare system, social equity, and collective empathy,"she said.

She stated that health justice demands that care extends beyond treatment to compassion and inclusion.

She, therefore, called on national health authorities, development partners, and civil society to expand access to screening, diagnosis, and treatment through primary healthcare systems and ensure comprehensive insurance and palliative care coverage for all.

She equally called for psychosocial support to be strengthened at the community level, particularly for women in rural areas, and that awareness campaigns should tackle stigma and promote early detection through trusted local networks.

"Hope is not a cure, but healing, and inclusion is how that hope is sustained. Health equity means no one should face illness in silence, because inclusion in healthcare is not charity, but justice in action,"Olatunde said.