Breast Cancer Awareness Event

October is internationally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and just before the month was over AUK hosted an event educating the public on this disease. The event on October 27, 2022, in the Auditorium of the American University of Kurdistan (AUK), was sponsored by AUK’s Center for Academic and Professional Advancement (CAPA)⁠ — appropriate given that health awareness is an essential part of all adults’ “continuing education.”

Dr. Randall Rhodes, President of AUK, was the first of the speakers. Specifically, President Rhodes situated this occasion in AUK’s larger commitment to improving public health in Kurdistan and making its people the best educated in the region.

Dr. Sana Rasheed, a breast physician at WEH Center, shifted between Kurdish and English in outlining breast cancer symptoms and treatments. She particularly emphasized one item: “Early detection saves lives.” She encouraged women from the age of 40 onward to get regular mammograms, since age is the greatest risk factor and the earlier the disease is caught, the more likely it is to be cured.

Karishmah Nair, the Executive Director of WEH Center and an adjunct professor at AUK, saluted the crowd with “Namaste” and went on to stress that breast cancer screening is neither painful nor dangerously radioactive. She offered reassurance that WEH Center will help all people, including those with limited financial resources and IDPs, with breast cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.

A gathering of this type would not be complete without stories from survivors. Jin Atroshi overcame breast cancer because she was a fighter, and she sought to convince everyone else they could be, too: “We are all Peshmerga.” She named her elder brother as her “biggest supporter” and spoke very directly to the fathers in attendance: “Please support your daughters… We’re in 2022… Never leave them alone.” Jenin Salah, another brave, battle-tested survivor of breast cancer, dispensed encouragement and guidance to the women in the audience.

Mihabad Aref, a nutritionist who is followed by a large community on social media and an MA student in Human Nutrition and Metabolism, spoke next. She explained the benefits of phytochemicals and antioxidants and commented on what constitutes a proper diet during chemotherapy.

Dr. Jervy Bernandino, Chief Nursing Administrator at AUK, guided the audience through a series of breast cancer misconceptions. Later, Dr. Adnan Asaad, a psychiatrist, focused on the links between mental health and breast cancer. A less clinical but no less valuable contribution came from Iman Derbas, a journalist affiliated with Kurdistan 24 TV. She articulated the role of the media in spreading breast cancer awareness.

AUK’s devotion to educating the people of Kurdistan and advancing solidarity between Kurdish men and women on the issue of women’s health was on full display at this event. The pink ribbons were everywhere, as were the smiles and heads nodding in agreement with the call to action.