21/09/2016: Nelson Mandela bridge piink illumination in support of breast cancer awareness drive 
 
The City of Johannesburg has partnered Estee Lauder Companies to light the Nelson Mandela Bridge bright pink for the month of October, in a bid to raise awareness about breast cancer.
 
Commemorating Breast Cancer month and honouring the initiative founded by Evelyn Lauder in 2000, Johannesburg will join various cities around the world in lighting notable landmarks to call attention to breast health and the early detection of the condition. 
 
Thursday, 29 September 2016 will mark the beginning of this year's awareness campaign which first saw the Nelson Mandela Bridge lit back in 2012.
 
Dr Mpho Phalatse, the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development in the City of Johannesburg says, “The lighting of Nelson Mandela Bridge will serve as a reminder of the fact that the earlier breast cancer is detected and diagnosed, the better your chances of beating it”. 
 
Estee Lauder General Manager, Loren Dreyer, states “calling attention to this condition serves to create a dialogue around taking a conscious interest one’s health. Breast Cancer now represents one in four of all cancers in women and is the most prominent cancer in women worldwide; increasing particularly in developing countries - where the majority of cases are diagnosed in late stages.
 
“Our message is to be mindful of risk factors that include family history – your susceptibility to the condition, age – the risk increases as you get older, genetics – as many as 10% of cases are thought to be hereditary and lifestyle – the consumption of alcohol and obesity after menopause is linked to the increase in risk. We, at Estee Lauder Companies are proud to continue with the legacy of Evelyn Lauder and commend our partners at City of Johannesburg for taking this stand with us to bring attention to a worthy cause”, said Dreyer.
 
South Africa is ranked 50th on the World Cancer Research Fund’s list of countries with the highest cancer prevalence rates. Amongst women, the most prevalent is breast cancer followed by cervical, uterus, colorectal and oesophageal cancer.
 
“We are committed to beating these statistics through education on the condition and will continue this drive within all health facilities in the City of Joburg during the month of October. We are proud of this partnership with Estee Lauder Companies and commend them for taking action”, emphases Dr Phalatse. 
 
The designation of October as “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” reflects a nationwide drive by public and private healthcare structures to raise awareness of this debilitating disease across all races and class structures.
 
Breast cancer is cancer arising in breast tissue. Cancer is defined as a group of abnormal cells that have abnormal growth patterns. Although breast cancer is primarily a disease of women, about 1% of breast cancers occur in men.
 
ENDS
 
Issued by the City of Johannesburg and Estee Lauder Companies Inc.
 
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