The “Voice for Her Power: Empowered by Hope to Overcome Breast Cancer” alliance, led by the Thai Breast Cancer Community; Sabina Public Company Limited; The Sukosol Hotel Bangkok; and Novartis (Thailand) Limited, organized a collaborative initiative to pass on the voice of hope and ignite societal awareness about the importance of breast cancer screening and early-stage treatment. It reiterated the key concept, “the sooner you know, the higher the chance of a complete cure,” aiming towards the goal of creating a sustainable healthcare system, while highlighting the role of women as a crucial force for the family, economy, and society.
Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among Thai women. The Ministry of Public Health states that Thailand has more than 20,000 new breast cancer patients per year.1 Although medical advancements have made treatments more effective, a large number of patients are still diagnosed at advanced stages, resulting in complex treatments and impacting the quality of life of both patients and caregivers. Furthermore, breast cancer also affects society and the economy on a macroeconomic level, since women constitute more than half of the country’s population and play vital roles as mothers, family caregivers, and essential workers driving the economy. Illness, therefore, means multifaceted overlapping losses, leading to a loss of economic potential. This initiative thus aims to raise awareness of the importance of breast cancer screening, coupled with advocating for patients to have equal access to treatment rights, in order to preserve the crucial power that drives the entire social system.
Mr. Pattana Promphat, Minister of Public Health, highlighted the government’s approach, stating, “A high quality of life for the people lies at the heart of developing Thailand's public health system. Breast cancer is highly curable if caught early. The Ministry of Public Health therefore aims to promote preventive healthcare, screening, and equal access to treatment. Regarding basic healthcare, Thai women should perform breast self-exams regularly every month and observe any physical abnormalities. At the same time, the government has added a benefits package to Universal Health Coverage with breast cancer screening via mammography and ultrasound for Thai women aged 40 and above who have a first-degree relative with a history of breast cancer, so that the Thai public can access health services comprehensively and equally.”
Asst. Prof. Dr. Aumkhae Sookprasert, M.D., a medical oncologist, conveyed her perspective from her experience in patient care, saying, “Many patients are able to accept the reality of being diagnosed with breast cancer, but what concerns them most is how treatment may affect their bodies, work, self-image, and overall quality of life. The important thing is that patients should not feel they have to face this disease alone. Public health personnel are ready to fully support patients in accessing effective treatments. Currently, medical advancements yield good outcomes for breast cancer treatment, especially when detected at an early stage, which can reduce the severity of the disease, lower the chance of recurrence, and increase the likelihood of returning to a near-normal life. Therefore, having breast cancer does not mean that one’s important roles must come to an end. Patients can still work, care for their families, and maintain a good quality of life.”
This initiative was honored by leading influential women of Thailand, who joined in passing on their power and perspectives to concretely drive women’s healthcare forward, led by Mrs. Kamala Sukosol, Chairman, Sukosol Group, who delivered a keynote address titled “Empowered Women, Healthier Nation: Starting with Paying Attention to Breast Health” and Ms. Sabeeda Thaised, Minister of Culture, who delivered a keynote address titled “Women as the Heart of Society: It’s Time to Prioritize Breast Health.”
In addition, there was a panel discussion exchanging opinions on “The Power of Hope and Change for Breast Cancer Patients,” featuring representatives from various sectors sharing their perspectives and real experiences, led by Ms. Nonglak Yodmongkol, Assistant Secretary-General of the National Health Security Office; Asst. Prof. Dr. Aumkhae Sookprasert, M.D., a medical oncologist; Dr. Hataitip Jirathun, representative of the Thai Breast Cancer Community; and Ms. Dhanyabhorn Sondhikandha, or “Joy T-Skirt,” a former member of a famous 90s girl group, who has direct experience facing cancer. This stage reflected voices from experts, patients, and support networks to communicate to all women to realize the importance of not ignoring abnormal signs, while passing on encouragement and helping to reduce anxiety for both patients and caregivers so they can move forward confidently on their treatment journey.
At the same time, the initiative also featured activities for sewing breast prostheses and a breast self-examination demonstration, aiming to turn awareness into concrete health care actions, ranging from observing physical abnormalities to supporting breast cancer patients to be able to live their lives confidently.
Novartis, as a global medicines company, is committed to advancing medical innovation to enhance patients’ quality of life, coupled with working alongside network partners to support and strengthen the public health system. Ms. Sumalee Kristarnin, Country President of Novartis (Thailand) Limited, stated, “The ‘Voice for Her Power: Empowered by Hope to Overcome Breast Cancer’ initiative reflects our commitment to enhance breast cancer patient care in Thailand. Our role does not stop at just developing treatment innovations, but also includes understanding the needs, anxieties, and challenges that patients must face on their treatment journey, because we believe that creating a sustainable health system requires collaboration from all sectors. We therefore has been working with the government and private sectors, and allied networks to listen and jointly reduce gaps in accessing effective treatments appropriately, because we believe that every patient should receive an equal opportunity for treatment, and the voice of the patient is a crucial force in driving the sustainable development of the Thai healthcare system.”
The initiative reflects the power of cooperation from all sectors in advancing breast cancer awareness and equity in care while creating an understanding that breast cancer is a curable disease when detected early and receiving appropriate treatment. Patients can still fully move forward with their lives, roles, and dreams. Because walking the path of breast cancer treatment is not the burden of the patient alone, but a shared societal commitment to enabling patients to have access to information, screening, and treatment. Because when patients can access proper treatment at the right time, they have a better chance to continue their life, while creating positive outcomes that extend to their families, communities, and society over the long term.
1https://dms.go.th/Content/Select_Landding_page?contentId=51634
