Within the framework of the Felestineya Program, Bank of Palestine, in cooperation with its partners (the Health Work Committees, the Dunya Center for Women's Cancer in the West Bank, and the Aid and Hope Center for cancer patients in the Gaza Strip), launched the October Campaign to spread awareness about the early detection of breast cancer. The campaign, which carries the slogan "early detection saves your life", is part of the annual Arab campaign for combatting cancer. Its activities were implemented in the West Bank governorate of Hebron and involved the participation of a large number of organizations and officials, alongside women who came from different Palestinian governorates and gathered at Bin Rashid roundabout in the city center.
In the Gaza Strip, Bank of Palestine, in cooperation with the Aid and Hope Center for Cancer Patients, its partner in the northern governorates, organized a huge event at the Gloria Hotel. The event featured several awareness activities and speeches delivered Ms. Mona Rahmeh, a cancer survivor and an employee at Bank of Palestine, and Ms. Iman Shanan, the Director of the Aid and Hope Center.
The bank’s sponsorship for the October Campaign for the early detection of breast cancer entered its seventh year, and it is part of the bank's concern and vision to support Palestinian women in the field of health, and also stems from its corporate social responsibility towards Palestinian women. The campaign's launch coincided with the launch of the first Pink Mobile Clinic by Bank of Palestine and the Dunya Women's Cancer Center, to provide services for the early detection of breast cancer. The clinic was established through funds exceeding one million dollars, raised from the longest Palestinian music marathon that was organized in 2016 under the leadership of the Trio Joubran, the bank's partner in culture, and involved the participation of more than one hundred Palestinian artists. Through these funds, the clinic was equipped and prepared to provide services in health awareness and conduct checkups for the early detection of breast cancer for women living in remote areas.
The bank expressed its pride in the many partnerships it managed to establish with several Palestinian organizations working to provide different types of services to communities across the Palestinian territories. Such initiatives succeeded in recording noted successes in saving the lives of many Palestinian women. The bank also noted that the other part of the funds raised through the marathon were allocated to encourage women in the Gaza Strip to conduct checkups for the early detection of breast cancer, and perform surgeries for those in need, in cooperation with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
Dr. Shatha Odeh, the Director of the Health Work Committees, stated that the October Campaign is an occasion to stand together and increase efforts to combat breast cancer and protect Palestinian women. She added that "the Health Work Committees gave priority and special attention to Palestinian women during its course of work since its establishment in occupied Jerusalem in the mid-eighties, whereby special programs were tailored to respond to women's needs and clinics were set up to follow up on women from all age groups." "All these efforts were conducted as part of the HWC's belief in the right of women to have access to quality health services," she added. In March 2011, the HWC established the Dunya Women's Cancer Center to become the first health facility for diagnosing women's tumors in Palestine and providing services and awareness programs, in addition to promoting the culture of the early detection of breast cancer. According to Dr. Odeh, scientific research revealed that nine out of ten women are cured when the disease is detected during its early stages.
Odeh also pointed out that breast cancer is considered among the most common types of cancers in Palestine at the rate of 17.8%, and it is the number one reported type of cancers among females, which reached 33.7%.
It is important to mention that Bank of Palestine and the Health Work Committees, through the Dunya Women's Cancer Center in the West Bank and the Aid and Hope Center for Cancer Patients in the Gaza Strip, work diligently to launch the October Campaign on an annual basis. This year marks the seventh year for the implementation of this rather important event to spread awareness among Palestinian women about the importance of the early detection of breast cancer. The bank participated in the campaign through its media outlets, and provides full support to its partners for the implementation of meetings and workshops, stemming from its commitment to corporate social responsibility.