Race to raise awareness about breast cancer at the Pyramids of Giza

Egypt’s breast cancer movement will race forward at the historic Pyramids of Giza today. A mighty gathering of Egyptians and international visitors will run and walk across the Pyramids site starting at 10 a.m. to raise awareness about breast cancer during the first Race for the Cure® in the Middle East, organized by Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and the Breast Cancer Foundation of Egypt under the auspices of the First Lady of Egypt, H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak.

Egyptians and expatriates have formed teams of runners at their schools and workplaces to cross the Pyramids site to break the silence that often surrounds breast cancer in many countries including Egypt. Breast cancer advocates from as many as 10 countries in the Middle East and North Africa will accompany them. They will be joined by high-level officials including Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control; U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey; Dr. Zahi Hawass, Director-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities; Nagwa Shoeb, Director General of the Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement; and Dr. Mohamed Shaalan, Chairman of the Breast Cancer Foundation of Egypt.

While bringing national and international attention to the disease, the Race for the Cure is designed as an uplifting event — a healing event for breast cancer survivors and their families and friends, and a positive step of people joining forces to beat the disease. Awards and prizes will be given to top finishers; teams will be recognized; and live music and exhibitors will add to the celebratory atmosphere.

“These events are a demonstration of the cooperation between countries, governments, civil society, advocates, survivors and the global community as a whole,” said Dr. Mohamed Shaalan, Chairman of the Breast Cancer Foundation of Egypt (BCFE). “It shows that breast cancer has no boundaries and reveals the beauty of the world’s unity in its fight against breast cancer. These events stand as a great addition to the global breast cancer movement especially in the Middle East.”

“Runners and walkers alike will break the silence that surrounds breast cancer in Egypt, North Africa and the Middle East,” said Ambassador Brinker. “This historic Egypt Race for the Cure will send a powerful global message celebrating survivorship and promoting early detection.”

Somewhere in the world, a woman dies of breast cancer every 68 seconds on average. The incidence of breast cancer is rising in Egypt and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Race continues a week of events aimed at showcasing Egypt’s leadership in the fight against breast cancer and supporting the Egyptian Ministry of Health’s National Program to Combat Breast Cancer in Egypt. More broadly, the events in Egypt are aimed at energizing the breast cancer movement throughout the Middle East region and raising awareness internationally about the need for early detection of breast cancer. On the evening of October 24, the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Cairo will host a public forum for individuals, survivors of breast cancer, health personnel and public figures to clarify concepts of breast cancer and strategies for combating the disease. For more details about the week’s events, see the Susan G. Komen for the Cure web site at http://ww.komen.org. For more information about breast cancer, visit www.komen.org (English) or www.bcfe.org (Arabic and English).