Beyond Busy: The Urgency of Women’s Health and Well-Being by Namrata Malghani

Have’nt we all heard this before, I need to go n get the pedicure for my painful ingrowth, let me go next week. Need to do my dental check-up, but this is far more important, maybe I will go after a couple of days. My back hurts, its just a pull , should get better soon.

Our mothers , sisters, aunts, grandmas, friends, daughters, nieces, neighbors, maids ………countless women….of all walks of life….. never prioritizing their healths due to work, family or social commitments. Resulting in a downward spiral in

Womens Health in society. What is Woman’s health? It’s the physical, mental and emotional health of a Woman. Balancing the 3 aspects requires a holistic approach leading to good health.

Just as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and sleeping for atleast 8 hours a day ensures a good health, so does self-care in the form of regular body check-ups ensures early detection and prevention of life threatening diseases.

Breast Cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide affecting woman health and efforts are being made globally to bring down the mortality rate by 2.5% per year, saving millions of lives. This is only possible through early detection, accurate diagnosis and effective treatments.

October is the month of Breast Cancer awareness since 1985 and focuses on research and awareness on cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of this disease. Around 2 million women around the world are diagnosed with the disease every year. Breast cancer is very common among women but it affects men too, although in small numbers.

The theme of WHO for Breast Cancer this year is – No-one should face breast cancer alone. It is also called Pink-October worldwide. The pink ribbon or the color pink is an international symbol of Breast Cancer awareness and expresses moral support for people with Breast Cancer. The disease affects low and middle income countries and the five year survival rate in high income countries is more than 90%. India has a five year survival rate of only 66% , this can be reduced through awareness and reducing the Breast Cancer risk.

The risk can be reduced by making better choices which include maintaining healthy weight, active lifestyle, avoiding harmful use of substances etc .Urging all woman to understand the importance of regular screening to detect early signs of Breast Cancer and prevention of this disease.

A Healthy woman is a backbone of a healthy family . Breast Cancer can take lives but with better understanding, better awareness and better support we can overcome it.