Today, 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime—it is the most common form of cancer among women. While incredible progress has been made in this fight—death rates have gradually declined over the years—breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death.
An estimated 320,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected over the course of 2026, as well as over 42,000 deaths. The progress that has been made in reducing death rates for breast cancer—and the breaking of barriers for treatment—is evidence of the incredible support that we at Greater Good Charities continue to highlight and expand.
Across the world, that fight is still ongoing, and families, communities, and individuals need support. Together, we’ve worked to prevent, identify early, and successfully treat breast cancer.
Empowerment through education in Sierra Leone
When Greater Good Charities began its partnership with Thinking Pink—a nationwide breast cancer awareness foundation based in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital—early detection of breast cancer was of critical importance for women in Sierra Leone and West Africa, and for cancer treatment across the world.
Emphasizing the importance of early detection was just one of the reasons that Cremelda Parkinson Pratt initially founded Thinking Pink, and they are still leading the breast cancer awareness movement in Sierra Leone—hosting annual marathons to raise funds and awareness, an annual breast cancer conference on International Women’s Day, and offering free medical screenings.
In Sierra Leone, the power of detecting cancer early cannot be overemphasized. For the 8.5 million people living there, recovery is still ongoing—both economically, and from years-long civil war. Current economic surveys on Sierra Leone assert that nearly 60% of the country’s population is directly affected by multidimensional poverty—with another 21% vulnerable to poverty. Unemployment rates are untenably high, particularly among young people, in a country where 40% of the population is under the age of 15.
For the people of Sierra Leone, medical care is still not readily accessible nationwide. Many hospitals and doctors are simply out of reach, especially for the rural demographic majority. The barriers to accessing immediate, high-quality preventative care and screenings for breast cancer are even greater.
The impact of those barriers is a health-care crisis that could potentially be eradicated. Studies have shown that breast cancer screening—particularly mammography for women aged 40-72—reduces mortality by up to 40%. The proven effects of detecting cancer earlier are undeniable: survival rates are over 99% for the first five years after early-stage diagnosis, with a high potential for remission.
Despite these risks, in 2018 women and healthcare workers in Sierra Leone had access to one single mammography machine for all of Sierra Leone—there were zero oncologists in the country at the time. In a nation that purportedly provides free healthcare, countless women were forced to take on expenses for travel and specialty treatment—or go without care. And when treatment was necessary, women had to travel to other countries where there were oncologists.
Greater Good Charities, together with GreaterGood.com, funded additional mammography instruments, ultrasound machines, travel for women to screenings, and treatments for women like Kadija, below.
Fatu’s Story: Serving Communities and Raising Awareness
“I felt a strange movement. . . when I was in elementary school. I didn’t know it was an illness. When I had turned seventeen, the lump started growing faster.”
In the communities working to raise awareness for breast cancer treatment and care, Fatu’s story is painfully familiar. Growing up in rural Sierra Leone, when she experienced early onset symptoms of breast cancer, the systems in place to help Fatu identify and receive needed treatment failed her. Without preventative care and early identifying capability, Fatu’s cancer went untreated for years before being identified.
With the relief of treatment for many can come the frustration of lacking adequate care providers, or simply not having known the signs. Because of screenings funded by Greater Good Charities and performed by Thinking Pink Foundation, Fatu was finally able to receive treatment, and she has continued to fight bravely through multiple rounds of surgeries and treatment.
Whether through dispelling myths, embracing community workshops, or expanding funding and access to mammography, biopsies, counseling, or life-saving mastectomies, Greater Good Charities will continue our work in honoring and supporting the fight to eradicate breast cancer, and ensure every single person receives the treatment they need and deserve.
In Sierra Leone, the impact of this work—and the foundations standing up for health care rights—will only continue saving lives, while honoring those who have lost theirs in the fight to end breast cancer.