Lagos, Nigeria, 14 October 2019. CancerAware Nigeria is delighted to be one of the 11 cancer organisations across the world selected for a global grants programme to reduce the breast cancer burden. In Nigeria,11,564 people died from breast cancer in 2018. "This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, CancerAware Nigeria is proud to announce that it has been selected to receive grant funding as part of an international programme to help reduce the breast cancer burden in Nigeria. Through the Seeding Progress and Resources for the Cancer Community: Metastatic Breast Cancer Challenge (SPARC MBC Challenge), CancerAware Nigeria will receive funding alongside training, mentoring and the opportunity to attend key international cancer events to exchange best practices with other organisations from around the world. Launched in 2015 by the Union for International Control (UICC) in partnership with Pfizer Oncology, the SPARC MBC Challenge is a global grants initiative which supports projects worldwide aimed at addressing metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients’ specific needs to, ultimately, reduce the number of women diagnosed at an advanced stage of breast cancer locally. Through its three editions, the SPARC MBC Challenge has directly benefitted more than 14’000 MBC patients globally and has reached more than 140’000 people through information campaigns. ‘At UICC, we are very proud to have supported the work of more than 50 organisations from five continents so they can improve the life of people living with MBC in their communities. Particularly in low- and middle-income countries, breast cancer presents too often at a late stage whilst we know that early detection is instrumental to ensure the best possible outcomes. Through this new round of the SPARC MBC Challenge programme, more people will be aware of the disease, encouraged to seek help earlier, and hopefully feel more supported than ever’, said the President of UICC, HRH Princess Dina Mired of Jordan. In Nigeria, 11,564 people died from breast cancer in 2018. The main challenges for MBC patients in the country include lack of access to timely and quality treatment (including palliative care), lack of financial, psychological and social support, stigma, e.t.c. CancerAware Nigeria will use its SPARC MBC Challenge award to commence the MobiPINK project and ensure we are able to address the unmet needs of women with metastatic breast cancer in Nigeria. The Executive Director of CancerAware Nigeria, Tolulope Falowo said “We are deeply honoured to be one of the eleven cancer organisations across the world selected in 2019 to benefit from this programme and join the international SPARC network of more than 50 organisations. This is truly a great opportunity for us to increase our impact in ensuring that Metastatic Breast Cancer patients in Nigeria get the attention they deserve.” Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide and accounted for more than 600’000 deaths worldwide in 2018. The disease can become metastatic, meaning that it has spread to other parts of the body such as lungs, brain, liver and bones, and is the most advanced stage of the disease. There is currently no cure for Metastatic Breast Cancerand treatment aims to prolong the survival of patients while preserving their quality of life." For more information about CancerAware Nigeria visit www.canceraware.org.ng For more information about CancerAware’s SPARC project visit http://bit.ly/cancerawaresparcgrant