WE’RE TOUGHER

The US-based Leukemia & Lymphoma Society launched its latest campaign, with video ads that showcase gritty survivors. The ads show survivors who are living remarkable lives and using their fight with cancer as an inspiration to keep going when things become tough. One video shows a young cancer survivor, who goes on to climb mountains. The videos end with the tagline: Beating cancer is in our blood.

CATCH IT EARLY

Fight Bladder Cancer (UK) and the European Cancer Patient Coalition estimated that Scotland sees the worst incidences of bladder cancer in the UK, mostly thanks to late diagnosis, and of these cases, a disproportionately large number of patients are women. The global bladder awareness campaign, launched at Falkirk in Scotland last month, with The Kelpies (horse head sculptures) being lit up in bright orange, the campaign colors, in remembrance of those who succumbed to the disease and also expressing solidarity with those who were fighting it.

LET’S KICK IT!

Kick a football into a designated bin, tag three friends to take up the challenge, and voila… save someone’s life. The Kick Cancer campaign by Shanab, a health initiative for men from Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP), looks at spreading awareness about prostate and testicular cancer through this sporty drive that was launched in schools across the UAE. The #BinChallenge went viral, grabbing eyeballs as well as the attention of celebrities worldwide.

A BATUA TO THE RESCUE

The Mahindra Rise cancer awareness campaign, Sehat Ka Batua, was aimed at a target group that often misses out on cancer awareness messages: rural women in India. The awareness campaign, conducted in conjunction with the Cancer Patients Aid Association across villages in Maharashtra, focused on the batua, a tiny cloth purse the women keep in their blouses. The purses, stitched from skin-friendly cloth, carried illustrations of the self-breast exams that would serve as reminders for the women to do one every month.

A ‘WHITATHON’ TO SAVE EYES

The L V Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad organized Whitathon, a run to spread awareness about retinoblastoma or eye cancer, on May 20. The cause, backed by cricketer V V S Laxman and IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad, is extremely relevant to the country as around 25% of eye cancer cases worldwide occur in India; this typically affects children below three years of age. Hence, it is important for parents and pediatricians to be aware of white reflex. Early detection, like in the case of every other cancer, can bring down fatality due to the disease and also, help kids retain their eyesight. Funds raised from the event will be used to treat poor kids free of cost, as well as to be put into research to find better cures for the disease.