At the clinic

Breast Cancer Screening programme

• Screening by clinical breast examination by trained medical staff
• Screening by mammogram and ultrasound
• Counselling before and after screening
• Teaching of breast self examination
• On/Off site referrals to medical practitioners

Cervical Screening: To be launched in 2010

Maternal Health Care: To be launched end April 2010

The Prenatal Equipment Project will result in the installation of equipment and implementation of prenatal procedures for disadvantaged women living in Freetown. This project is partly funded by the Heineken Africa Foundation.

Objectives include: ensuring affordable access to advanced prenatal care in the Freetown urban area of Sierra Leone; assist the Government of Sierra Leone in reducing the incidence of death from complications in pregnancy and childbirth; and assist in changing the attitude of women to health issues.
 

Wellness programme

• Screening for hypertension, obesity, diabetes, pregnancy
• Head to toe examination
• On/Off site referrals to medical practitioners

Weight Loss programme

• Measuring body mass with the BMI calculator
• Referral for registration to weight Loss programme (WLP)
• Counselling by targeting causes of obesity and assist in finding solutions
• Teaching about life style influences and giving nutrition advice to suit the individual
• Organised regular walks and exercises at the gym
• Weekly/Fortnightly monitoring of individual weight loss

Therapy and Counselling

Before and after screenings, after diagnosis, after loss of a loved one and on request

Sisters Friendly Breast Cancer Survivors' club

Cancer Survivors' club to assist women diagnosed with breast cancer, to give them support , to help raise awareness of the disease and to assist in advocacy to Government and institutions for better cancer care.

Treatment On/Off Site

Arrange free or affordable cancer care treatment available in the health services in Sierra Leone;

Provide Onsite doctors (Dr. Adrian Borbor, Dr. Ese Thomas) who care for patients with breast cancer and other ailments under the wellness programme

Collaborate with Choithram Memorial hospital for free mastectomies and lumpectomies for very poor and needy women;

Provide financial assistance to under privileged women to assist with cancer screenings, diagnostic tests, surgery, chemotherapy and the administration of drugs.

Other programmes

Sensitisation and Awareness

• TV and radio programmes,
• Drama,
• Educational materials such as posters, pamphlets, leaflets.
• Talks in schools and other institutions and establishments
• Teaching of breast self examination, nutrition and life style influences
• Cancer Survivors' club led by a survivor trained in Uganda

Fundraising: Local and international

• Annual fundraising dinner and dance
• Annual sponsored walk - Walk for Life
• Annual raffle draws
• Fundraising events from affiliates in the UK and the USA 
• Pledges from local commercial institutions

 Advocacy

• Government hospitals and clinics for women diagnosed with the most common types of cancers (breast, cervical and ovarian)
• Choithram Memorial Hospital , Hill Station
• Medical school for increased training in oncology
• Ministry of Health and Sanitation to include cancer in the national health plan for Sierra Leone