Achieck Njeck, Student Nurse, Clinical Nrainee at Bamenda Regional Hospital, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“We invest billions in agriculture to feed nations. But how much do we invest in protecting the health of the women who grow that food?
This question became impossible to ignore during a recent breast cancer awareness outreach with farmers.
Many of the women we engaged with had never received structured education about breast cancer before not about the early warning signs, not about breast self-awareness, and not about the importance of seeking care early.
Yet these are the same women who wake up before sunrise, cultivate the land, sustain local food systems, and support their families and communities.
Their contribution to our societies is enormous.
But when it comes to life-saving health information, many remain outside the reach of traditional health communication channels.
This is a critical gap in public health.
While conversations around cancer prevention continue to grow globally, awareness does not always reach rural and agricultural communities, where millions of women live and work.
During the outreach, we focused on practical and evidence-based messages:
- Understanding the early warning signs of breast cancer
- Encouraging breast self-awareness and regular checks
- Promoting early consultation at health facilities when changes are noticed
Research consistently shows that early detection significantly improves breast cancer outcomes. But early detection cannot happen where awareness does not exist.
If we are serious about reducing the burden of cancer especially in low- and middle-income countries we must expand cancer education beyond hospitals and academic settings.
It must reach farms, markets, and rural communities, where health information is often limited but the need is just as urgent.
Protecting the health of women in agricultural communities is not only a health issue.
It is a development, equity, and food security issue.
Appreciating the continued global efforts advancing cancer prevention and awareness, including the work of: World Health Organization, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), International Cancer Foundation (ICF), IARC – International Agency for Research on Cancer, FAO, Ministry of Health Cameroon
Strengthening collaboration between public health institutions, agricultural communities, and development organizations will be key to ensuring that cancer education truly reaches everyone.”
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