WHEP and Faveda in joint action: Women with breast cancer are not alone

There are no precise statistics in BiH on the number of women suffering from breast cancer, but a large number of women lose their battle with this disease. The Women's Health Empowerment Program (WHEP) started operating in BiH in 2005 as an initiative of the American Jewish humanitarian organization JDC and Susan G. Komen - the world's largest organization fighting breast cancer.

Regional Director Nela Hasić told the Patria agency that significant progress has been made in 12 years.

- The fact that we are working in partnership with 23 organizations dealing with this issue in Bosnia and Herzegovina speaks for itself. Psychosocial support groups have been introduced, in the form of workshops and work with psychologists, tens of thousands of students and citizens have been educated on early detection of the disease and healthy lifestyles. Several thousand free mammograms have been performed, and 8 national and 3 regional conferences have been held – says Hasić.

The Race for the Cure, a race/walk for recovery, has been organized nine times, with hundreds of women participating, and numerous seminars and trainings have been held for organizations and individuals, and a free SOS hotline has been introduced…

In October, during the registration of participants for the Race for the Cure, about 1,300 first-aid kits are distributed, and the goal is for every newly operated woman in BiH to receive the same package.

They contain cotton prostheses, arm exercise balls, educational brochures, bracelets, and three products from the Faveda pharmacy – St. John's wort oil, scar balm, and fish fat.

The cooperation with the Faveda pharmacy has been ongoing for several years, and as Hasić points out, women are satisfied with the quality of the products.

- As a domestic company that employs women from rural areas, Faveda has proven to be a true partner willing to donate part of its products. Women across the country are satisfied with Faveda's products, and as long as that is the case, we will continue our cooperation – explains Hasić.

The owner of the Faveda pharmacy, Aida Zubčević, told Patria that she will donate part of her products this year. She came up with the idea of making a scar balm and explained its effects.

- I specifically prepared the scar balm for them, and it has proven to be very effective in healing scars after surgery. It is a combination of several herbs that have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects, and soften the connective tissue, which is certainly one of its most significant roles because it prevents the formation of hard and somewhat unsightly scars – says Zubčević, emphasizing that she wanted to give women a product that would be helpful to them.

In addition to scar balm, the package contains St. John's wort oil and fish fat.

- St. John's wort oil is a preparation with a wide range of effects due to the active components present in St. John's wort. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. What is less known, or rather, less applied to the skin, is that St. John's wort is a herbal antidepressant, and when applied to the skin, it acts on nerve endings, thus relieving pain. This has proven to be very effective for herpes. In the case of women who have undergone breast cancer surgery, all these properties are significant – says Zubčević.

The third product in the package, fish fat, is a combination of three oils that promote epithelialization: fish oil, calendula oil, and olive oil.

Hasić emphasizes the importance of preventive examinations and states that this year they will provide about 900 mammograms during Health Days.

- For women living in cities, medical services are a few bus or tram stops away, while for women living in rural areas, it is much more complicated; they have to travel several times to the nearest city to get examined, not to mention their poorer financial situation and lack of health insurance. The problem with the population is that they are not used to going for preventive check-ups, or to see a doctor when they don't have a problem. It is already known to everyone that every disease is treated more successfully when detected early – concludes Hasić.