Orange Foundation, Commercial Bank Launch Breast Cancer Campaign in Sierra Leone

Orange Foundation Sierra Leone and Sierra Leone Commercial Bank have launched a 2026 breast cancer awareness, free screening and surgery campaign aimed at reaching more than 5,000 women across Sierra Leone.

The initiative will combine screening, treatment support and health education, with a particular focus on underserved and remote communities. Its launch on October 3 included an eight-kilometre awareness walk from the Cotton Tree in central Freetown to Kallon Car Park at Aberdeen Beach.

Healthcare professionals, breast cancer survivors, government officials, Orange Sierra Leone employees, Sierra Leone Commercial Bank staff and members of the public took part in the event.

Focus on early detection

Madam Aïcha Touré, Chief Executive Officer of Orange Sierra Leone, said the campaign would extend access to services in communities where healthcare is more difficult to obtain.

“This year, we want to reach more than 5,000 women, especially in communities where access to healthcare is more difficult,” she said.

Touré said Orange Foundation Sierra Leone has supported breast cancer awareness and treatment initiatives since 2015. She also reported that more than 2,500 women benefited from screening services in 2025.

According to Touré, many women seek medical attention only after the disease has reached an advanced stage, which can make early detection and effective treatment more difficult. She urged women to seek screening and complete any recommended treatment.

“Our message to the entire Sierra Leone is simple: get screened early, and if you need care, follow through with your treatment,” she said.

She described the wider goal as a shift “from fear to knowledge, from silence to conversation, and from late diagnosis to early detection.”

Government health commitments

Professor Dr. Charles Senneh, Deputy Minister of Health I, said breast cancer screening is an important part of preventive healthcare and that early presentation improves the chances of receiving appropriate treatment.

Senneh said the Government of Sierra Leone remains committed to establishing a state-of-the-art cancer treatment centre. He also said work was under way to expand mammography services beyond Freetown and Kenema to other parts of the country, although no timeline was provided.

Calling for sustained cooperation among government, private-sector institutions, healthcare providers and development partners, Senneh said: “Women’s health is everybody’s business.” He also called for breast cancer education and sensitisation to continue throughout the year.

Hospital services and private-sector support

Dr. Isaac Olufemi Small, Surgical Oncology Specialist and Head of the Oncology Unit at Connaught Hospital, said breast cancer is treatable, particularly when it is detected early.

He said Connaught Hospital provides breast cancer services that include diagnosis, treatment and palliative care. The hospital serves patients from Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

Ibrahim Tito Sankoh, a manager at Sierra Leone Commercial Bank, said the bank is committed to initiatives that improve the health and wellbeing of Sierra Leoneans. The bank also reaffirmed its readiness to provide financial support to the campaign, without specifying an amount.

The campaign encourages women to undergo screening and follow through with treatment. Men have also been encouraged to support women and seek medical attention when unusual breast changes occur.