Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga Calls on Women Not to Fear Screenings

Photo: LETA

Following the completion of the "Pink Oath" campaign organized by the "Pupkultūra" movement, former President of Latvia Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga calls on women not to fear breast screenings and to undergo them in a timely manner, reports LETA, citing the charitable foundation Rozā vilciens.

The former president stated that fears hindered timely actions for a person close to her. Therefore, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga urges not to postpone and to regularly undergo breast examinations.

The campaign organizers emphasize that breast cancer claims hundreds of lives in Latvia every year. Last year, 359 women died from this diagnosis. Statistics show that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, often at a late stage — the third or fourth stage.

Breast cancer is treatable if detected early; however, many women still avoid regular check-ups due to fear, busyness, or prejudices.

The campaign organizers note that since the beginning of the "Pupkultūra" movement, a positive trend has emerged — breast cancer mortality in Latvia is decreasing, and the proportion of cases detected at an early stage is increasing.

At the same time, they emphasize that "we are still far from the EU average."

"Unfortunately, our campaigns also reveal shortcomings in the healthcare system, especially in the accessibility of services," the foundation notes. As explained by the founder of the foundation, Zinta Uskale, the campaign encourages women to be responsible and regularly undergo screenings; however, women themselves report that they cannot do so due to long waiting lines.

It was previously reported that as part of the "Pink Oath" campaign, celebrities urged Latvian women to prioritize their breast health.

Research shows that 15% of women believe that cancer will not affect them, 49% think they are fine because they have no complaints and feel healthy, 10% admit they are too busy, 11% fear the examination and its results, and 12% of respondents indicate that long waiting lines for screenings deter them.

Therefore, the "Pupkultūra" movement held an event in which the Hippocratic Oath was reinterpreted in a special video, debunking the most common reasons why women do not undergo breast screening.

Since its founding in 2014, the charitable foundation Rozā vilciens has assisted more than 1,200 women facing breast cancer. This year, the foundation continues to provide support by offering individual psychological consultations and physiotherapy sessions to ease the treatment process.