The Estée Lauder affiliate companies have launched the 2021 #TimeToEndBreastCancer campaign in Kenya. The firm has been leading the global breast cancer movement since Evelyn H. Lauder co-created the Pink Ribbon and started The Breast Cancer Campaign in 1992.
The campaign aims to achieve equity and unity in support of the entire breast cancer community worldwide. This year’s Pink Ribbon creative features shades of pink, textures and design to signify the diversity of the disease in support of everyone who is affected by the illness.
The campaign also seeks to raise funds towards Breast Cancer Research Foundation and further support cancer centres like the Faraja Cancer Support Trust in Kenya.
As a commitment towards this annual activity, the 2021 campaign will see up to 70 women receive a free mammogram screen test courtesy of Estée Lauder Companies Sub Sahara Africa.
The partnership with Faraja Cancer Support Trust comes at a time when the Trust is raising funds through the Faraja Medical Support Fund (FMSF). The Fund aims to develop an effective system to enable adults and children with cancer obtain the right treatment at the right time. It also seeks to garner support from various groups with the vision and capacity to come together and make a meaningful and long-lasting impact by making donations into the fund.
Faraja aims to raise Ksh. 110 million (USD 1 million) to enable up to 50 patients to receive treatment every year. The fund will also cover medical costs such as surgery, brachytherapy, chemotherapy, radiation and hormonal therapy.
The 2021 campaign has incorporated a new social media call-to-action campaign to rally supporters and raise funds.
Participants are required to show their pink ribbon and share their story. For every public in-feed Instagram or Facebook post during the month of October featuring the hashtags #BCCKenya, #TimeToEndBreastCancer and #ELCdonates together.
In Kenya, cancer is the third leading cause of death after infectious and cardiovascular diseases. From 2012 to 2018, the annual incidence of cancer increased from 37,000 to 47,887 new cases. Annual cancer mortality has risen almost 16%, from 28,500 to 32,987 cancer-related deaths during the same period, with numbers expected to rise in the next 5 years. The five most common cancers in Kenya are breast, esophageal, cervical, prostate, and colorectal.
The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign remains rooted in its mission to create a breast cancer-free world.