This is the second straight day with Romney enjoying a 4-point advantage, according to the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll. Prior to that, with the exception of the convention bounces, neither candidate had led by more than three points for months. However, it is not clear whether this represents a lasting change in the race or is merely statistical noise. In Ohio, the race is now tied at 48%.
Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia (SMNE)
October 22, 2012
Open letter to:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
and Israeli Ministry of the Interior Eli Yishai;
Regarding the serious concerns involving the status, detentions and living conditions of the Ethiopian refugees now living in Israel.
Prime Minister’s Office 3 Kaplan St.
P.O.B. 187
Kiryat Ben-Gurion Jerusalem 91919
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“Once I have witnessed the redemption of the Jews, my people, I wish to assist in the redemption of the Africans.” Written in 1902 by Theodor Herzl, the father of modern political Zionism
Dear Prime Minister Netanyahu,
We are writing you regarding our serious concerns involving the status, detentions and living conditions of the 2,500 to 3,000 Ethiopian refugees now living in Israel. As you know, both the government of Israel and the African refugee living within Israel have reached a complicated and difficult impasse with no simple solutions to a growing refugee problem; yet, we believe that Israel’s newly instituted solution to cope with these refugees is not only short-sighted and harsh, but also ethically and morally wrong. Instead, we hold that a more humane policy could be found to address the very real challenges of both refugees who are genuinely seeking a temporary safe haven and the state of Israel which is not ready to meet the real needs of so many persons.
Contrary to the general tone of the law, in most cases, Ethiopians refugees living in Israel have legitimate asylum cases and are there legally as the Ministry of the Interior has reportedly issued most asylum seekers a conditional release visa. This means they are not simply “work infiltrators.” According to the 2012 report from Freedom House,[1] Ethiopia was second on the list of all countries for experiencing the greatest decline in freedom over the past two years. The 2011 Legatum Prosperity Index showed Ethiopia to at the very bottom of their list as the most “un-free” country among the 110 countries studied.[1]
Moreover, we believe the proposed enactment of stringent detention or deportation policies, under the Anti-Infiltration Law and its amendments, which includes asylum seekers, is unjustifiable in view of the widespread human rights violations in many neighboring countries, including Ethiopia, and will undoubtedly place many of these refugees in harm’s way. Some, if not many, will not survive. Furthermore, according to UNHCR, only 1% of asylum requests are finally accepted. Acceptance does not mean permanent residence or citizenship in Israel. What many of these refugees need is temporary shelter until safety and security are restored in their countries; not draconian policies that would criminalize asylum seeking, leading to long-term detention.
We contend that the enactment of the Anti-Infiltrator law and its amendments fail to fulfill the obligations of the international Refugee Convention, of which Israel is a signatory, and may violate the soul and conscience of a nation of people who in the past and present have experienced their own persecution, threats to their survival and the need to seek the goodwill of other nations in providing safe refuge to them.
Request
In light of this, and on behalf of these Ethiopian refugees, the SMNE respectfully calls on the Government of Israel, the Ministry of the Interior, the Knesset and other people and bodies associated with the implementation of the Anti-Infiltration Law and its amendments, to consider its revision. In particular, we would for the protection of asylum seekers from the application of this law. We also respectfully call on you to cease disclaiming the cases of these asylum-seekers as being without cause until there is a well-developed asylum process in place, free of bias, with all deficiencies corrected and until authorities possess accurate and up-to-date facts about the state of repression in Ethiopia, so as to fairly evaluate the claims of these African Refugees without discrimination. The present acceptance of only 1% of all asylum claims[i] calls into question the entire process; something that is very disturbing in light of the very real threats many of these refugees will face at home.
According to Hotline for Migrant Workers, an advocacy group located in Tel Aviv, they write in their August 2012 publication, “Legislation Targeting Asylum Seekers in Israel 2012”, “These measures reflect the false claims that the African asylum seekers are not refugees running for their lives and freedom, but rather ‘work infiltrators’, as repeatedly stated by Israeli government officials.” [ii] Amendments to the law will criminalize Israeli citizens who employ asylum seekers, but will eventually will also criminalize both Israelis – with fines and imprisonment in some cases—who shelter or transport asylum seekers or who assist them in sending money to family or others abroad. Africans, who are certainly a more easily identified group within Israel, will be easily targeted
Few Ethiopians, if any, have received asylum in Israel or have been able to go through a thorough process of determination to separate true asylum seekers from illicit workers and the bias is that none of them are refugees, an absurd assumption in light of the rampant human rights violations in Ethiopia and the lack of freedom, justice and freedom of expression. This is backed up with data. According to the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR), in the entire year of 2011, Israel only approved one out of 46,000 or more requests for asylum and only 190 since Israel signed the 1951 Convention in 1954, [iii] leaving the majority of asylum seekers without work permits and forced to seek illegal work if they are to survive.[iv]
According to UNHCR’s July 2012 report on Israel, they also express concerns that this law will be enacted before there is an adequate asylum process. They indicate in their report: UNHCR is also concerned regarding the current functioning of the asylum system in Israel. With a recognition rate below 1%, eligibility practices appear to be too restrictive… it is clear that further efforts are required to develop capacity and to consolidate the procedural framework guiding this important process. The lack of adequate capacity makes it difficult, for example, to promptly and fairly process asylum claims. A significant number of applicants have to wait several months or longer, some while in detention, to have their claims reviewed. Moreover, the accelerated processing model in use in Israel lacks necessary procedural safeguards, including adequate access to the appeal process. In UNHCR’s opinion, such deficiencies are likely to impact the quality and fairness of decisions rendered for such claims.”[v]
The UNHCR also notes that persons of African descent will be more vulnerable than others. “UNHCR has expressed serious concern prior to and with the approval of the Law for the Prevention of Infiltration. Applied to asylum-seekers, it could constitute a breach of the rights and obligations of the Government, as stipulated in the 1951 Convention, of which Israel was a founding signatory. Of particular concern is the long term detention to which asylum seekers are subjected; a minimum of 3 years according to the law. The application of the law could be considered discriminatory, in contravention of other international obligations under the ICCPR and ICERD6, as it will apply almost solely to persons of African descent in practice. Additionally, UNHCR is concerned that the law also applies to children and other persons with specific protection needs.[vi]”
Ethiopian Refugees in Detention Centers
Unofficial sources estimate that there are between four and five hundred Ethiopians in various detention centers within Israel; some for over three years. This number includes minor children. Here are some facts:
In Givon Prison, located near the city of Ramla are the following:
In Saharonim Detention Centre (also “Saaronim”) close to the border with Egypt there are approximately:
In Matan, a juvenile detention facility, located near Hadera
In seeking meaningful answers to this current dilemma, no one expects Israel to “go it alone,” but yet, Israel, a nation called to be “repairers, healers and restorers,” – “tikkun olam”— might be in a position to play an important role in working together with Africans themselves and other concerned nations and organizations in finding humane, effective and durable solutions which could be mutually beneficial in the long-run if not much sooner.
“For the Sake of the World” (mip’nei tikkun ha-olam)
We in the SMNE are working to create a “New Ethiopia” where diverse Ethiopians will find a home where they can live and flourish, where streams of refugees out of the country will cease and where those scattered among the nations will want to return, without deportation, like the Jews to their homeland of Israel. Because of your own suffering, you may better understand the present-day world of many of these refugees who are unwanted in their own homeland, driving them to seek a temporary place of safety, but find they are also unwanted there.
The people of Israel know about the great suffering that comes from being unwanted in foreign lands, even those in which they had been born and raised. It led to the Holocaust, an evil that became the darkest of stains on humanity; however, many do not realize that Ethiopians were also the innocent victims of the same evil system that dehumanized them along with many others. One man typifies the common thread between what happened to the Jews and what happened to Ethiopians. That man is Rodolfo Graziano, the defense minister under Mussolin’s fascist regime.
In 1937, Rodolfo Graziano carried out a massacre of Ethiopians, killing 30,000 persons in three days and 1,000,000 other Ethiopians throughout the duration of their invasion of Ethiopia, earning him the nickname as the “Butcher of Ethiopia.”[vii] One of his officials incited the killing saying, “Comrades, today is the day when we should show our devotion to our Viceroy by reacting and destroying the Ethiopians for three days. For three days I give you carte blanche to destroy and kill and do what you want to the Ethiopians.” In 1938, Graziano signed anti-Semitic laws leading to the deportation of 7,000 Italian Jews to German concentration camps where nearly 6,000 of them died.
The world is ashamed of what was done to the Jew during the Holocaust. The Germans have apologized and given compensation and the Vatican has apologized, but in terms of Ethiopia, few even know of the systematic mass extermination campaign where chemical warfare and poisonous gases were used to kill great numbers of people. World leaders could have stopped the rise of Hitler Mussolini early on, like could have been done with Hitler, but another great stain on history was when the League of Nations caved in to self-interest and betrayed one of its co-signers it pledged to protect—Ethiopia—when Mussolini invaded Ethiopia.
Ethiopians suffered so much but it has never acknowledged. Now their grandchildren are the ones suffering at the hands of their own government but they are finding nowhere to go to escape it. This is not about infiltrators or illicit workers but it is about human beings—our sons, daughters, sisters, fathers and mothers.
We do not blame Israel for reacting to what has become an overwhelming and seemingly insurmountable challenge of absorbing such a large influx of refugees in such a small country; however, what we ask for is a temporary arrangement until refugees can return. Use your diplomatic efforts to support those Ethiopians who are working to create a government where there is freedom and democracy. It will bring greater stability to the region. We know the real way out is not with Israel or some other country of refuge but instead it is to build a country where there is a government that respects the rights of its people; where its leaders our accountable to its citizens; and a homeland where the people can live and flourish.
To read the entire letter, please open the attachment or click the link http://www.solidaritymovement.
For those who speaks Amharic, please listen to the attached audio of an Ethiopian refugee who lives in Israel
I am appealing to all my friends and colleagues to forward the litter to your friends. If you do, you will not just be giving a voice to our beautiful people, but you would be doing justice to our humanity. Knowing the truth is overcoming the first obstacle to freedom!
Thanks so much for your never-ending support. Don’t give up. Keep your focus on the bigger picture and reach out to others and listen! Care about those who are suffering. Think about our family of Ethiopians and humanity throughout the world—they are YOU! There is no “us” or “them.” This is at the heart of the SMNE.
Sincerely yours,
Obang Metho
Executive Director of the SMNE
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.solidaritymovement.org
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~ There lies before us, if we choose, continual progress in happiness, knowledge and wisdom. Shall we instead choose death, because we cannot forget our quarrels? I appeal as a human being to human beings; remember your humanity, and forget the rest ~ Bertrand Russell
ከፕሮፌሰር ዓለማየሁ ገብረማርያም
ትርጉም ከነጻነት ለሃገሬ
ወርሃ ኦክቶበር (ጥቅምት)በአለም የጡት ካንሰር ማሳሰቢያና ማስገንዘቢያ ወቅት ነው፡፡ ወሩን በሙሉ በዓለም ላይ ሕዝባዊና የግል ድርጅቶች የፕሮግራሞቻቸውና የእንቅስቃሴዎቻቸው ትኩረት ሁሉ በጡት ካንሰር መንስኤ ላይ በማትኮር፤ አደጋውን ለመቀነስ፤ ቅድመ ጥንቃቄ ስለማድረግ፤ ህክምናና ምርምር በማከናወን ላይ ይገኛሉ፡፡ በእርግጠኝነት በተረጋገጠው መሰረት በአብላጫ በዓለም ላይ ሴቶችን በማጥቃት ላይ ያለው የጡት ካንሰር ነው፡፡ በሚሊዮን የሚቆጠሩ ሴቶች በበሽታው በየዓመቱ ሲለከፉ ከነዚህም መሃል በሢ የሚቆጠሩት ለሞት ይዳረጋሉ፡፡ኮመን ፎር ዘ ኪዩር የተባለው የአሜሪካ ድርጅት እንደአስቀመጠው በአሜሪካን የሚገኙ አብላጫዎቹ አፍሮ አሜሪካውያን መሃል ሁለተኛው ገዳይ በሽታ የጡት ካንሰር እንደሆነ ያረጋግጣል፡፡ በአፍሪካ ስለዚህ ገዳይ በሽታ የታማሚ መጠንና ስለሚያደርሰውም አደጋ አያም ስለሚሰጠው ትኩረትና ህክምና በትክክል እንዲህ ነው ለማለት ዘገባም ሆነ መግለጫ ስለሌለ ብዙ ማለት ያስቸግራል፡፡ በአፍሪካ የበሽታው ሁኔታ ሊታወቅ የሚችለው ታማሚው በበሽታው ተይዞ ለህክምና ወይም ለመመርመር ወደ ጤና ጣቢያ አለያም ህክምና ማእከል ሲሄድ ብቻ ነው፡፡ አብላጫው የሴቶች ቁጥር በሚኖርበት የገጠሩ ክፍል ስለበሽታው ሁኔታ መዝግቦ መያዝና ማስረጃዎችን ማሰባሰቡ በብዙም የተለመደ ወይም ሁኔታ የተፈጠረለትም አይደለም፡፡ ስለበሽታው ሁኔታ ክትትልና ዘገባም ሆነ ስለበሽተኞቹ ሁኔታ ጥናት ማካሄድን ከምር ይዘው በማስኬድ ላይ የሚገኙት ጥቂት የአፍሪካ ሃገራት ናቸው፡፡
የጡት ካንሰርና የሕክምና አገልግሎት በኢትዮጵያ
በኢትዮጵያ የጤና ባለስላጣናት በሚያወጡት ሪፖርት ላይ የጡት ካንሰር ቅድሚያ የሚሰጠው በሽታ ሆኖ አይታይም፡፡ በሃገሪቱ ካለው የጤና ላዕላይ መዋቅር ደካማና ያልተመጣጠነ መሆን፤ የጤና ማእከል እጥረት፤ለጤና ካለው ደካማ ትኩረት አኳያ፤ ይህ አዲስ ነገር ሆኖ ባይታይም ይቅር የሚባል ጉዳይ ግን ጨርሶ ሊሆን አይችልም፡ ፡ በኢትዮጵያ ጤና አጠባበቅ ላይ የሚታየው ስታትስቲክስ የጨለመና ልብ የሚሰብር ጉዳይ ነው፡፡
እንደ 2006ቱ የዓለም ጤና ድርጅት(WHO) ዘገባ መሰረት፤ የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝብ ቁጥር 77 ሚሊዮን ተብሎ ተገምቷል፡፡ ይህን ታላቅ የሕዝብ መጠን የህክምና አገልግሎት ለመስጠትም 1,936 ሃኪሞች አሉ (1 ዶክተር ለ 39,772 ሰዎች)፥ 93 የጥርስ ሀኪሞች (1 ለ 828,000 ሰዎች)፥ 15,544 ነርሶችና የልምድ አዋላጆች (1 ለ 4,985 ሰዎች)፥ 1,343 ፋርማሲስቶች (1 ለ 57,334 ሰዎች)፥ እና 18,652 የጤና ባለሙያዎች (1 ለ 4,128 ሰዎች) አሉ:: የሃገር ውስጥ ጠቀሜታ በመቶ ሲሰላ ለጤና ይሚወጣው 5.9 በመቶ ነው፡፡ አጠቃላይ የመንግስት የገንዘብ ፍሰት ድርሻን በጤና ላይ በተመለከተም 58.4 በመቶ ሲሆን ተራፊውን 41.6ቱን የሚሸፍኑት የግል ባለሃብቶችና ድርጂቶች ናቸው፡፡ የህክምና መኝታ አልጋዎች መጠን ለ10,000 ሰዎች ከ25 አላጋ ያነሰ ነው፡፡ የሕክምና የመንግስት ወጭ በግለ ሰብ ሲተመን ከ3 የአሜሪካ ብርን አያልፍም፡፡የዓለም የጤና ድርጅት አነስተኛው መጠን ለ 100,000 ሰዎች 25 ዶክተሮች ያስፈለጋሉ ይላል፡፡ በማርች 2007 ዓም፤ ሙት ወቃሽ አያድርገንና፤ ያለፉት ጠቅላይ ሚኒስትር መለስ ዜናዊ ስለ ሃኪሞች ሲናገሩ እንዳሉት፤ ‹‹በኢትዮጵያ ዶክተሮች አያስፈልጉንም……. ሃኪሞቹ ወደያሻቸው ቦታ ሊሄዱ ይችላሉ፡፡ በፍጹም የተለያ አመለካከት ሊደርግላቸው አይችልም›› በማለታቸው በኮንፍራንሱ ላይ የነበሩትን ሁሉ ያስደነገጠና ያሳዘነ አባባል ነበር፡፡ እንደ ፎሪን ፖሊሲ መጽሔት አባባል፤ ‹‹በአፍሪካ ሁለተኛዋ ታላቅ የሕዝብ ቁጥር ባላት ኢትዮጵያ (80 ሚሊዮን) ካሉት ሃኪሞች የበለጠ ቁጥር በቺካጎ የሚሰሩት የኢትዮጵያውያን ዶክተሮች ቁጥር የበለጠ ነው፡፡”
በ ኦክቶበር 2010 በአምስት ተከታታይ ጽሁፍ ‹‹የኢትዮጵያ እናቶች›› በሚለው ዘጋቢ የጋዜጣ ጽሁፏ ሃና ኢንግበር ዊን ዝቅተኛ ደረጃ ላይ ስላለው የአፍሪካን የውልደትና የጤና አሳሳቢና አስደንጋጭ ጉዳይ ስዕላዊ ድርሰቷን አቅርባ ነበር፡፡ ‹‹በኢትዮጵያ የወላጆችን የጤና ሁኔታና የወሊድ ስርአትን በተመለከተ ተሃድሶ የሚያስፈለግው ጉዳይ ነው›› ብላ ዊን ጽፋ ነበር፡፡ ከስድስት በመቶ የሚያንሱት ኢትዮጵያዊያት እናቶች በወሊዳቸው ወቅት የህክምና እርዳታ እንደሚያገኙ የ2005ቱ የጤና ጥናት ያሳያል፡፡ በወሊድ የሚሞቱት ቁጥር በዓለም እጅጉን አስከፊ የሆነ ነው፡፡ በጥናቱ መሰረት ከ 100,000 ወላዶች መሃል 673 እናቶች በወሊድ ሰበብ ለሞት ይዳረጋሉ፡፡››
በዚህ አስደንጋጭ ዘገባና የጡት ካንሰርን ሁኔታ ማስጠንቀቂያና ማሳሰቢያ የግልም ሆነ መንግስታዊ ተቋም በሌለበት፤ ይህ የጡት ካንሰር በኢትዮጵያ ምን ደረጃ ላይ እንዳለ፤ መወሰድ ስለሚገባው ጥንቃቄ፤ ሰለአጠቃላይ ሁኔታው እንዲህ ነው ብሎ ማስቀመጡ አስቸጋሪ ነው፡፡ ዘመን አመጣሹን ቅድመ ምርመራ ለማድረግ የሚያስችለው “ማሞግራም” የተባለው መሳርያ በአብዛኛዎቹ ኢትዮጵያውያን ሴቶች ጨርሶ አይታወቅም በእርግጠኛነትም ልመርመር ለምትል እናትም ዋጋው የሚደፈር አይደለም፡፡ በሽታው ስር ሰዶ የከፋ ደረጃ በሚደርስበትም ጊዜ ቢሆን ኢትዮጵያዊያን እናቶች አማራጭና አቅማቸው የሚፈቅድላቸው የባሕል መድሃኒትና የመሳሰሉትን ነው፡፡ ኪሞና ራዲዩቴራፒ ከጥቂት የተረፋቸውና ያላቸው ወደ ውጪ ሄደው ለመታከም ከታደሉት ባሻገር ለብዙሃኑ ኢትዮጵያዊያት እናቶች በሃሳብ ደረጃ እንኳ የማይታወቅ ነው፡፡
ስለካንሰር ኤች አይ ቪ /ኤይድስ የሚስጥራዊነትና የዝምታ ባሕል
ስለአንዳንድ በሽታዎች ሚስጥር ማድረግና ዝምታን መምረጥ በኢትዮጵያም ሆነ በዲያስፖራው የሚገኙ እትዮጵያዊያን መሃል እጅጉን የሚያስገርምና የሚያሳዝን ባሕል አለን፡፡ ሁለቱ የማይደፈሩትና በድብቅ የሚያዙት በሽታዎች ደግሞ ኤድስና ካነሰር ናቸው:: የዚህም ዝምታና ሚስጥራዊነቱ ህጉ እስከ እለተ ሞት ድረስና ከዚያም በኋላ ሚስጥረነቱን ማክበር ነው፡፡ ይህንንም አሳዛኝና አሳፋሪ የሚስጥራዊነት ባህል በቅርቡ ለህልፈት በተዳረጉት በመለስ ዜናዊ ሁኔታ አይተነዋል፡፡ የመለስ ሕመምና የሞቱ መንስኤ ምንነትና ሰበቡ ከፍተኛ ጥብቅ ሃገራዊ ሚስጥር ሆኖ ይኖራል፡፡ በስፋት እንደሚነገረውና እንደሚታመነውም የመለስ ሞት ሰበቡ የአንጎል ካንሰር ነው፡፡ የኒው ዮርክ ታይምስ የውጪ ዲፕሎማቶችን ጠቅሶ እንደዘገበው ‹‹መለስ በጉበት ካንሰር ይሰቃይ ነበር፡፡›› ጋዜጠኞችን ለመጠበቅ የተሰለፈው ድርጅት (ዘ ኮሚቴ ቱ ፕሮቴክት ጆርናሊስት) እንደዘገበው መለስ በብራስልስ ሆስፒታል በጉበት ነቀርሳ ሳቢያ ሞቷል ብልዎል፡፡ በአጠቃላይ ካንሰር በተለይም የጡት ካንሰር በብዙ ኢትዮጵያዊያን በተማሩትም መሃልና ውጪውን ዓለምም ባዩት መሃልም ቢሆን የማይነገር የማይነሳ የሚደበቅ ሚስጥር ነው፡፡
ይህ የሚስጥራዊነትና የዝምታ ባህል ለብዙ ሺህ ኢትዮጵያውያን ሞት ምክንያት ሆኗል፡፡ ለምሳሌ በርካታ ኢትዮጵያዊያን ሴቶች በዲያስፖራው ለሞት የተዳረጉበት መነሾ አስቀድመው ስለበሽታው ምርመራን ባለማደረጋቸውና የፍርሃታቸውም ምክንያት የምርመራው ውጤት የበሽታው ተጠቂነታችንን ያሳውቀናል በሚል መሆኑ ይታወቃል፡፡ በበሽታው የተያዙት እነዚህ ሴቶች ጉዳዩን ከዘመድም ከወዳጅም ደብቀው በማቆየት እስከመጨረሻው ድረስ ሳያወጡት ኖረው በሽታው ስር ከሰደደና ሕክምናም ምንም ሊያደረግ ወደማይችልበት ደረጃ እስኪደርስ በሚስጥር ይይዙትና መደምደሚያው የሞት መቅሰፍትን መጠበቅ ይሆናል፡፡
የግልጽነትን ባሕል በማዳበር የጡት ካንሰርንም ሆነ ሌሎችን በሽታዎች በነጻ መወያየት
ለብዙ ዓመታት ስለ ጡት ካንሰር ምንም ግንዛቤ አልነበረኝም፡፡ ስለቅድመ ምርመራው በቂ እውቀት ሳይኖረኝ በሬን እስኪያንኳኳ ቆይቼ ነበር፡፡ቆይቼ ግን ብዙ ተማርኩ፡፡ አወቅሁ፡፡ ያም የሚከተለው ነው፡-
…….አስቀድሞ ከተደረሰበትና አስፈላጊው ቅድመ ምርመራ ከተደረገ፤ ዘመን በፈጠራቸው የሕክምና መሳርያዎች እርዳታ የጡት ካንሰር ሊታከም የሚችል በሽታ ነው፡፡ የጡት ካንሰር እንዳለባት ለአንዲት ሴት መንገር ማለት የሌት ተቀን ቅዠቷን ማስታጠቅ ማለት ነው፡፡ ሴቶች ሁኔታውን ሲሰሙ ወዲያው ወደ መደናገጥና ፍርሃት ውስጥ ይገባሉ፡፡ በአሜሪካ የሚኖሩ በርካታ ኢትዮጵያዊያን ሴቶች ወቅታዊውን የሚሞግራፍ ምርመራቸውን ቸል ብለው ይተዉታል፡፡ ለአንዳንዶቹ እንደ ሰበብ የመመርመሪያውን ሂሳብ የመክፈል አቅም ማጣት አድርገው ይሸሹታል፡፡ ኢንሹራንስ ከሌለ በስተቀር በአሜሪካ ሕክምናን ማድረግ እጅጉን አስቸጋሪ ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ ሆኖም ለምርመራውም ሆነ ለህክምናው አቅሙና መንገዱ ያላቸውም ቢሆኑ አያደርጉትም፡፡ ለዚህ አደገኛ በሽታም አቅም እያለ ክትትልና ህክምና አለማድረግ ሰበብ አለው፡፡ ከሰበቦቹ ዋነኛ ተብሎ ሊጠቀስ የሚችለውም፤ ስለ ጡት ካንሰር ጉዳት በቂ ግንዛቤ አለመኖር ነው፡፡ አንዳንዶች ደግሞ ጨርሶ ስለዚህ ጉዳይ ማንሳትም ሆነ መወያየት አይፈቅዱም፡፡ በጠና ካልታመሙ በስተቀር ወደሃኪም አይሄዱም፡፡በዚህም እራሳቸውን ለማዳን መንገድ አይኖራቸውም፡፡
የጡት ካንሰር ማንኛዋም ሴት ልትደብቀው አለያም ችላ ልትለው የማትችለው በሽታ ነው፡፡ የጡት ካንሰርን ችላ ማለት በደን ውስጥ መቀጣጠል የጀመረን እሳት ችላ እንደማለት ነው፡፡ በደን መሃል ችላ የተባለ እሳት ደኑን እንደሚያጠፋው አያጠያይቅም፡፡ የጡት ካንሰርም መኖሩ ተጠርጥሮ ከታወቀ በኋላ ችላ ከተባለና አስፈላጊው ክትትል ካልተደረገ በቀር ስር እየሰደደና በሰውነት ውስጥ በመሰራጨት ተጠቂውን ለሞት መዳረጉ አይቀሬ ነው፡፡ ለብዙዎቹ ሴቶች በጡት ላይ የሚሰማን መጎርበጥ አለያም የሚታይን እብጠትም ሆነ አዲስ ስሜት፤ ሕመም እስካላስከተለ ብሎ ችላ በማለት ተዘናግቶ መቆየት የተለመደ ቢሆንም ግን አግባብ አይደለም፡፡ምንም አይነት በጡት አካባቢ የሚታይ እብጠት አስጊነቱ ቅድሚያ ተሰጥቶ ወደ ዶክር ሄዶ መታየቱ እጅጉን አስፈላጊ ው፡፡
እነዚህ ከላይ የተጠቀሱት ቃላቶች ከሁለት ዓመታት በፊት በባለቤቴ ‹‹ለኢትዮጵያዊያት እህቶቼ የተጻፈ ደብዳቤ›› በሚል ርዕስ የተጻፉ ናቸው፡፡ የጡት ካንሰርን በማሸነፍ ታሪኳንም ከኢትዮጵያዊያት እህቶቿ ጋር ተካፍላለች፡፡ ‹‹በርካታ ኢትዮጵያዊያን ስለ ጡት ካንሰር ምርመራና ህክምና ያላቸው እምነት ከአፈ ታሪክነት የማያልፍ ነው፡፡ ለምሳሌ አንዳንድ ኢትዮጵያዊያት ወቅታዊ የማሞግራፍ ክትትላቸውን የሚያቋርጡት ከመመርመርያው መሳርያ የጡት ካንሰር ይይዘናል ብለው ያምናሉ፡፡ ማሞግራፍ ግን የጡት ካንሰር አያሲዝም፡፡ ልክ ራጂ እንደመነሳት ቀላልና ህመምም የሌለው ነው፡፡›› በፅሁፏ ላይ ትኩረት ሰጥታ ያስገነዘበችው ‹‹አንዳንድ ኢትዮጵያዊያት በካንሰር መያዝን እንደ አሳፋሪ ተግባር አድርገው ይመለከቱታል፡፡ ጓደኞቻቸውም ሆኑ ቤተሰቦቻቸው እንዲያውቁባቸው አይፈልጉምና በሚስጢር ይዘውት አስጊ ደረጃ ላይ ደርሶ ህክምናም ምንም ሊያደርግ በማይችልበት ወቅት ወደ ሆስፒታል መሄዳቸው ግድ ይሆናል፡፡ የጡት ካንሳር በምንም መለኪያ አሳፋሪ አይደለም፡፡በሽታው ድሃና ሃብታም ሳይልና ልዩነት ሳያደርግ፤ጥቁር ነጭ ብሎ ቀለም ሳይለይ፤ የትም ዓለም ላይ በምትኖር ሴት ላይ የሚደርስ ነው፡፡››
አንዳንድ ኢትዮጵያዊያት ሴቶች ትኩረት ሊሠጧቸውና ሊገነዘቡት ስለሚገቡ ሁኔታዎች አበክራ ትናገራለች፡፡ ‹‹ከምንም በላይ ላተኮርበት የምፈልገው ጉዳይ ኢትዮጵያዊያት ሴቶች ወቅታዊ የሆነ የሃኪም ክትትል ማድረግና፤ በማሞግራፍም መመርመርንና የሚከሰተውን አላስፈላጊ ስሜት ምንነት መረዳት አስፈላጊነትን ነው፡፡ የጡት ካንሰር እንደ ኢንፍሉዌንዛ አይደለምና በጥቂት ቀናት የአልጋ ላይ እረፍት አይጠፋም፡፡ ችላ ከተባለ ህይዎትን ከባድ አደጋ ላይ ይጥላል፡፡ ከዚህ አስጊ ሁኔታ ለመዳን መፍትሔው ወቅታዊ ክትትል ማድረግ ብቻ ነው፡፡›› ባለቤቴም ስታስረዳ ‹‹ኢትዮጵያዊያት ሴቶች መሰረታዊ የሆነውን ነገር ለማድረግ ቸል በማለት፤ በጅምሩ ሊቆምና ሊገታ የሚችለውን በሽታ በመዘንጋትና በሌላም ሰበብ በርካታ ጓደኞቿን፤ ወዳጆቿን የስራ ባልደረቦቿን፤እና የቤተሰቦቿን አባላት በዚህ በሽታ አጥታለች፡፡›› በዚህም እጅጉን ታዝናለች ትጸጸታለች፡፡
ለኢትዮጵያዊያት ሴቶች የጡት ካንሰር ማስገንዘቢያ ወር ፡ – ለኢትዮጵያዊያን ወንድሞቼ የተጻፈ ‹‹ደብዳቤ››
በ‹‹ደብዳቤዋ›› ላይ ባለቤቴ ስለ ውይይት ማካሄድና የአካባቢም የተግባር እንቅስቃሴ ፤ ትኩረት አስፈላጊነትን አበክራ ትናገራለች፡፡
‹‹በአሜሪካ ለሚኖሩ በርካታ ኢትዮጵያዊያት የቋንቋ የባሕል፤የገንዘብ ጥያቄ ወቅታዊ ክትትልና የማሞግራፍ ምርመራ ለማደረግ ችግር ፈጣሪ እንደሆኑ እረዳለሁ፡፡ ይህን ችግር ለማሰወገድ ደግሞ ኢትዮጵያዊያት እህቶች እርስ በርስ በመረዳዳት፤ በአብያተ ክርስቲያናት በመነጋገር፤ በማህበረስብ ግንኙነቶች በመመካከር፤ ስለ ጡ ካንሰር በግልጽ በመወያየት፤ የአስቀድሞ ጥናቃቄን በማጎልበት ይህን ሀኔታ ሊወጡት እንደሚችሉም እምነት አለኝ፡፡ በዚህም ስለ ደም ግፊታችን እንደምንመካከረው ሁሉ ስለጡት ካንሰርም በመነጋገር በጊዜው እርዳታ ማግኘት እንችላለን፡፡››
ጥሪዋንና ተማጽኖዋን በተለይም ለኢትዮጵያዊያት ሴተ ዶክተሮች ስታስተላልፍ፤ ‹‹ሴቶች እህቶቻችንን የማስተማር ቀደምት ሚና እንዲጫወቱና፤ስለበሽታው በማስተማር፤ቅድመ ምርመራውንም በማድረግ በበሽታው የተያዙትንም አስፈላጊውን የክትትል ህክምና እንዲያደርጉ በመምከርና በመርዳት እንዲተባበሩ ትጠይቃለች፡፡›› በአሜሪካ ነጻ የጡት ካንሰር ምርመራ ለማድረግ አቅም ለሌላቸው ነጻ ምርመራ የሚያደርጉ በርካታ የአካባቢ ሆስፒታሎችና ክሊኒኮች አሉ፡፡›› ተስፋዋም ‹‹ሴቶች እህቶቿ በየአካባቢያቸው ተሰባስበው በመደራጀት በመላው አሜሪካ የመተጋገዝ ቡድን ለማቋቋምና ለመረዳዳት ይችላሉ፡፡›› የሃይማኖት ተቋማትንም ‹‹የሙያው እውቀት ያላቸውን በመጋበዝና ሴቶችንም በማስተባበር አስፈላጊውን ትምህርት እንዲያገኙ በማድረጉ ረገድ ቅድመ ምርመራን፤ የማሞግራፍ ምርመራ፤ለማድረግም ለማያውቁት መንገዱን በማሳየትና በማበረታታት ከፍተኛ እንቅስቃሴ በማድረግ እንዲተባበሩ ታሳስባለች….በበርካታ የአሜሪካ ከተሞች ኢትዮጵያውያንን ለማገልገል የተቋቋሙ በርካታ የሬዲዮ ጣቢያዎች አሉ፡፡ እነዚህ ጣቢያዎችም የጡት ካንሰርን አስመልክተው በጣቢያቸው ላይ ጥቂት ደቂቃዎች በመመደብ ስለበሽታውን ቅድመ ምርመራው፤ ስለክትትል ህክምናውና ነጻ ሆስፒታሎችና ከሊኒኮች የሚገኙበትን መንገድ በመጠቆም ከፍተኛ ሚና ሊጫወቱ ይገባል፡፡ ከዚሁ ባልተናነሰ መልኩ በድህረ ገጾችም ላይ ይሄው እንቅስቃሴ ሊደረግ ተገቢ ነው፡፡ ተስፋዬም በሚቀጥለው ዓመት በሚከበረው የሴቶች የጡት ካንሰር ማሳወቂያና መሳሰቢያ ወር ላይ ብሔራዊ ፕሮጋራሞችም እንደሚቀናጁና እንቅስቃሴውም በሃገር አቀፍ ደረጃ ጎልብቶ ማየትን ነው፡፡››
በዚህ የማስጠንቀቂያና ማሳሰቢያ ወር፤ይህንን መሰሉን ጉዳይ ማካፈሉ በእጅጉ አስፈላጊ ነው ብለን እናምናለን፡፡ በቅድሚያ ይህንን ገዳይና ቀሳፊ በሽታ ደጋግሞ ማጥፋት ወሳኝ ነው፡፡ ምናልባትም ሌሎች የበሽታውን ቀሳፊነት የተገነዘቡና በበሽታውም የተጠቁ ፊት ፊት በመውጣት ልምዳቸውንና ያደረጉትን ምርመራና ቅድመ ጥነቃቄ በተመለከተ በዓለም ላይ ባሉ ኢትዮጵያዊያት መሃል ጠቃሚ የመነጋገርያና የመረዳጃ ቡድኖች ይቋቋማሉ የሚል ተስፋ አለን፡፡ የጡት ካንሰርን የማሸነፊያው መንገድ ስለበሽታው በቂ እውቀት ማግኘትና ቅድመ ምርመራንና ክትትልን ሳያስተጓጉሉ በማድረግ ብቻ ነው፡፡ ሁለተኛም ለእህቶቻችንና ለወንድሞቻችን ልናረጋግጥ የምንፈልገው፤ በጡት ካንሰርና በማንኛውም የካንሰር አይነት መያዝ፤ አንዳችም የሚያሳፍር፤ የሚያሸማቅቅ፤ ጨርሶ በሌላ ስም የሚያስጠራ፤ ፈጽሞ አጸያፊም ያልሆነ፤ እንዳልሆነ ነው፡፡ ይልቅስ የሚያሳፍረውና የሚያሳስበው፤ አጉል ተብሎም ሊጠቀስና ሌላም ስም ሊያሰጥ የሚችለው፤ አስፈላጊው አገልግሎት ሁሉ በተሟላበት ሃገር ተቀምጦ ቅድመ ምርመራውንን ክትትሉን በአግባቡ አለመወሰዱና በአጉል አፈ ታሪክና ባሕል ተሸብቦ፤ መገለል ይደርስብኛል በሚል ወሬና ተረት ለሞት መዳረግን መምረጥ ነው፡፡››
እንደ እውነቱ ከሆነማ ከጡት ካንሰርም ሆነ ከሌላውም የካንሰር ህመምተኝነት ድኖ መገኘት የትም ቢኬዱ የሚያኮራና የሚያስከብር ተግባር ነው:: ከጡት ካንሰር ጋር ገጥሞ በሽታውን ድል ማድረግ ልክ አንድ የጦር ተዋጊ ዘምቶ ጠላቶቹን ድል በማድረጉ ሂደት ከፍተኛውን ሚና በመጫወትና ለድሉም ጀግንነቱ ብቃት ያለው ተግባር በመፈጸሙ ለሜዳልያ ሽልማት እንደሚበቃው ጀግና መቆጠር ማለት ነው፡፡ ማለቴም የጡት ክንሰርን ተቋቁመው ድል ያደረጉና ከበሽታው የተፈወሱትን እህቶች ጥንካሬ፤ ቆራጥነት፤ አልበገር ባይነት፤ ጀግንነት፤ ድል አድራጊነት፤ተመልክቼ መስክሬያለሁና ነው፡፡ እንዲሁም ከበሽታው ጋር ትንቅንቅ ተያይዘው ፤ ሲሰቃዩ፤መከራ ሲበሉ፤ አቅም ሲያጡ፤ በሽታው ስር እየሰደደ ሲጨርሳቸውና ለሕልፈተ ሞት ሲዳርጋቸውም መስክሬያለሁ፡፡ ኢትዮጵያዊያን ወንዶች: ወንድሞች ስለጡት ካንሰር በሚደረገው ማንቂያ ከፍተኛ ሚና እንደሚጫወቱ አምናለሁ፡፡ አንዳንድ ጥቃቅን ተግባራትን በቅድመ ምርመራውና ክትትሉ ዘርፍ በመውሰድ እንደሚረዱ እርግጠኛ ነኝ፡፡ለዚህም በቅድሚያ ራሳችንን ማስተማርና ማወቅ ይገባናል፡፡ የሁላችንም እህቶች፤ እናቶች፤ ሚስቶቻችን ባህላዊ ተጽኖና አለማወቅ ስላለባቸው ስለበሽታው ቅድመ ምርመራም ሆነ ክትትሉን በበሽታው ክፉኛ እስኪጠቁና መንገዱ እስከጠብ ድረስ በሚስጥር መያዝ ስለሚመርጡ መደረግ ያለበትን ሳያደርጉ ይቀራሉ፡፡ እነዚህ እናቶቻችን: እህቶቻችን፤ ሚስቶቻችንና ወዳጆቻችን ስለ ጡት ካንሰር አስፈላጊው እውቀት እንዲኖራቸውና ቅድመ ምርመራውንም ሆነ ማሞግራፍ ምርመራውን፤ ክትትሉንማ ማደረግ እንዳለባቸው ሳንሰለችና ሳንደክም በይሉኝታም ሳንታሰር በመንገርና በመጎትጎት አቅጣጫውን ማስያዝና ሂደቱንም ማገዝ ይገባናል፡፡ በዚህ ሁሉም ነገር ባለበት ሃገር ተቀምጠን በበሽታው ተይዘን ግን ምንም ሳናደርግ በሚስጥር ይዘን ለሞት መዳረግ ከማሳፈርም ያለፈ ጉዳይ ነው፡፡ ሁላችንም ተባብረን በዚህ የጡት ካንሰር ማስጠንቀቂያና ማሳሰቢያ ወር (የወሩን ሶስተኛውን አርብ) ልዩ እንቅስቃሴ በማድረግና ሴቶች እህቶቻችንን በማስተባበር ብሔራዊ ማሞግራም ቀን በማለት ሰይመን ለምርመራ ማስተባበር ይጠበቅብናል፡፡
ለጡት ካንሰር ማስጠንቀቂያና ማሳሰቢያ ወር በርካታ የእግር ጉዞዎችና ሌሎችም ተግባራት እየተዘጋጁ በመሆኑ፤ይህንንም በመጠቀም ማስተባበራችንን ማከናወን ይጠበቅብናል፡፡ በርካታ ኢትዮጵያዊያት ተሰባስበው በሚኖሩባቸው መንደሮች በነዚህ እንቅስቃሴዎች መሳተፍን ተግባራዊ ማድረግ ጠቀሜታው ከፍተኛ ነውና ለዚህም መትጋትና መተግበር ያስፈልጋል፡፡ ተስፋ በመቁረጥ በዚህ ሕመም መሰቃየትና በግል መጨነቅ ለኢትዮጵያዊያት ሴቶች አዲስ ልምድ አይደለም፡፡ ድጋፍ ሰጪ ቡድኖች በተለይም የጡት ካንሰርን በመዋጋት ላይ ላሉት እጅጉን አስፈላጊ ነው፡፡ ስለ ጡት ካነሰር የሚያስረዱ ማንኛቸውም ነገሮች፤ (ነጻ የማሞግራም አገልግሎት፤የግልና የመንግስት ህክምና ቦታዎች) በጥንቃቄ ተሰባስበው ለኢትዮጵያዊያት ሴቶች ሊደርሱ ይገባል፡፡ በተለይም ወንዶች ይህን ጎታችና አስቀያሚ የሆነውን የሚስጥራዊነት፤ድብቅነትን፤ ጎጂ ባህል በተለይም የጡት ካንሰርን በተመለከተ የማጥፋቱ ሃላፊነትና በአደባባይ ስለጡት ካንሰር መነጋገርንና መወያየትን ባህል ማድረጉ እንዲለመድ ሃላፊነቱ የወንዶች ነው፡፡
በዚህ ወር በሽታውን ተቋቁመውና አስፈላጊውን ክትትል በማድረግ ለድል የበቁትን እህቶቻችንን የምናከብርበት ወር እናድርገው፡፡ ከጡት ካንሰር ጋር ተዋግተው ድል ካደረጉ በላይ ጀግና የለምና፡፡ በጡት ካንሰርም ሕይወታቸው ያለፈውንም እናስባቸው እናስታውሳቸው፡፡ በትምህርትና በማሳወቅ ረግድ በሰፊው ማህበረሰብ ውስጥ የጡት ካንሰርን ለማሸነፍ የሚደረገውን እንቅስቃሴ በማጠናከር እንስራ፡፡ የክትትል ምርመራና ቅድመ ጥንቃቄ ትክ የማይገኝላቸው የጡት ካንሰርን ማሸነፊያ ሃይለኛ መሳርያ ናቸው፡፡ እጅ ለእጅ በመያያዝ አንድ ባንድ ሴቶቻችንን ከጡት ካንሰር ተጠቂነት ነጻ እናድርጋቸው!
‹‹በሽታውን ያልተናገረ መድሐኒት አይገኝለትም፡፡›› እንዲሉ!
የተቶረገመው ጽሁፍ (translated from):
(ይህን ጦማር ለሌሎችም ያካፍሉ::)
PRESS RELEASE
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The Ethiopian National Transitional Council (ENTC) has appointed Ato Dereje Begashaw as its Diplomatic Representative in Uganda.
One of Ato Dereje’s first tasks as a diplomatic representative was to establish communications with the Government of Uganda. In a letter sent to Mr. Sam Kutesa, Foreign Affairs Minister of Uganda, he requested a diplomatic recognition on behalf of ENTC.
Before being forced into exile, Ato Dereje Begashaw was a prominent young journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Satenaw Newspaper and Asqual Newspaper in Ethiopia. He had also served as an election observer for the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) in 2005.
Ato Dereje’s letter to the Government of Uganda explains ENTC’s mission, and discusses the political, economic and security crises in Ethiopia, as well as the need for the Ugandan government to help with a peaceful transition to democracy.
ENTC was founded at a 3-day conference in Dallas, Texas, that was convened from July 1 – 3, 2012, with the participation of representatives from over 30 cities and countries.
For more info:
ENTC Foreign Relations
85 S. Bragg St. Alexandria VA, 22312 USA
Tel: 202-735-4262
Email: [email protected]
Website: etntc.org
October is international Breast Cancer Awareness month. Throughout the month, public and private organizations in many countries promote programs and activities aimed at breast cancer risk reduction, early detection, treatment and research. It is well-established that breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women throughout the world. Millions of women are diagnosed with the disease every year and hundreds of thousands die needlessly. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among African American women in the U.S., according to the Komen for the Cure organization. There is little reliable data on the incidence and prevalence of breast cancer in Africa because of the absence of reporting, diagnostic and treatment processes. Breast cancer cases in Africa are likely to be documented only when patients come to hospitals, health centers, clinics and laboratories for diagnostic and treatment services. Facilities with mandatory reporting requirements are far and few between in the rural areas of Africa where the vast majority of women live. Few African governments have undertaken breast cancer epidemiological surveys to reliably ascertain the incidence, severity and prevalence of the disease.
Breast Cancer and Health Services in Ethiopia
A review of the academic and popular literature does not show that breast cancer is a priority for health officials in Ethiopia. That is understandable, though not excusable, given the country’s dismal health infrastructure and services. The statistics on health care services in Ethiopia are grim and heartbreaking. According to a 2006 World Health Organization (WHO) report, Ethiopia’s population was estimated to be 77 million. To serve this population, there were 1,936 physicians (1 doctor for 39,772 persons); 93 dentists (1: 828,000); 15,544 nurses and midwives (1: 4,985), 1,343 pharmacists (1: 57,334) and 18,652 community health workers (1: 4,128). Total expenditure on health as a percentage of gross domestic product was 5.9 per cent. General government expenditure on health as a percentage of total expenditure on health was 58.4 per cent, and private expenditures covered the balance of 41.6 percent. Hospital beds per 10,000 population was less than 25. Per capita expenditure on health was US$ 3 at an average exchange rate. WHO’s minimum standard is 20 physicians per 100,000 population, and 100 nurses per 100,000 population. In March 2007, the late Meles Zenawi, responding to a question on the Ethiopian “doctor drain”, shocked health officials and physicians attending a conference by declaring, “We don’t need doctors in Ethiopia… Let the doctors leave for wherever they want. They should get no special treatment.” According to Foreign Policy magazine, “there are more Ethiopian physicians practicing in Chicago today than in all of Ethiopia, a country of 80 million and Africa’s second-most populous country.”
In October 2010, in a five-part series entitled, “Mothers of Ethiopia,” investigative journalist Hanna Ingber Win painted a portrait of a country that is the epicenter — the ground zero– of Africa’s maternal and child health crises. Win wrote, “In Ethiopia, the maternal health statistics suggest that the nation’s health care system needs an overhaul. Less than six percent of women have access to a health professional while giving birth, according to Ethiopia’s 2005 Demographic and Health Survey. The maternal mortality rate is one of the worst in the world. For every 100,000 live births, 673 women die giving birth, according to the survey.”
In light of these statistics and the absence of private and non-governmental organizational efforts to increase breast cancer awareness, little is factually known about the incidence, severity and prevalence of breast cancer in Ethiopia. Routine mammogram screening for breast cancer for the vast majority of Ethiopian women is unheard of and certainly unaffordable. When the disease manifests itself, the vast majority of Ethiopian women are likely to seek the aid of herbalists and shamans for traditional medicine. Chemo and radiotherapy are beyond the means of all except the extremely well-to-do who will often travel outside the country to receive treatment.
The Culture of Secrecy and Silence About Cancer, HIV/AIDS…
There is a strange and confounding culture of secrecy and silence about certain kinds of illnesses among many Ethiopians in the country and those in the Diaspora. Among the two taboo diseases are cancer and HIV/AIDS. The rule seems to be hide the illness until death, even after death. We saw this regrettable practice in the recent passing of Meles Zenawi. Meles’ illness and cause of death remain a closely guarded state secret. It is widely believed that he died from brain cancer. The New York Times quoting “Western officials” reported Meles was “was suffering from liver cancer.” The Committee to Protect Journalists reported Meles died in a Brussels hospital of liver cancer. But cancer in general and breast cancer in particular are taboo subjects for most Ethiopians including those with advanced education and exposure to the outside world. This culture of secrecy and silence has contributed significantly to the needles deaths of thousands of Ethiopians. For instance, there is substantial anecdotal evidence that far too many Ethiopian women living in the U.S. have needlessly died from breast cancer because they failed or avoided to get regular breast cancer screening fearing a positive diagnosis. Often these women would keep themselves in denial about the disease and avoid sharing information with family and friends until they have passed a critical stage where medical intervention is ineffective. Secrecy and silence when it comes to breast cancer is a death warrant!
Developing a Culture of Openness and Free Exchange on Breast Cancer and Other Illnesses
I became very much aware of breast cancer several years ago. Until the disease hit closer to home, I knew very little about its diagnosis, treatment and outcomes. But I did learn a lot; and here are some of the things I learned:
…With the types of treatments available today, breast cancer is a disease that can be treated effectively if caught early… It is a woman’s worst nightmare to be told that she has breast cancer. [Women] go through an emotional roller coaster — shock, denial, anger, and “why me” self-pity when the doctor [tells them they have] breast cancer…. Many Ethiopian women in the U.S. tend to be lax about doing [their] annual checkups or having our regular mammograms. For some of [them], it is a simple problem of not being able to afford any health care. Without insurance, getting health care in the U.S. could be very difficult. But many Ethiopian women who have the means to get regular checkups and mammograms often do not get it. [There are] many reasons for this potentially dangerous situation… one of the major reasons has to do with not being well-informed about breast cancer. Many [Ethiopian women] are so scared of the disease that [they] don’t want to think about it, let alone actively learn information that could save [their] lives…. They will not go to see the doctor unless they are ‘very sick’. With breast cancer, waiting until one is ‘very sick’ means one is just too late to get help to save one’s life…
… Breast cancer is one disease that no woman can hide from or afford to ignore. Ignoring breast cancer is like ignoring a small brushfire in the forest. Left alone, the brush fire will eventually destroy the forest. Breast cancer, if not detected early or ignored after one catches its tell-tale signs, could spread to various organs in the body and kill its victim. It is not uncommon for some women to feel lumps in their breasts, ignore it and not have it checked out because it “does not hurt.” That is a big mistake. Any kind of lump or hard tissue in the breast should be taken very seriously and checked out by a doctor…
These words were written by my wife two years ago almost to the day in a piece entitled, “A Letter to My Ethiopian Sisters”. She beat breast cancer and freely shared her story with her Ethiopian sisters. She explained that the “myths many Ethiopian women believe about breast cancer tests and treatments [are just that]. For example, some [Ethiopian] women avoid getting their annual mammograms because they believe they can get cancer from it. Mammogram does not cause breast cancer. It is a simple and painless procedure just like taking X-rays.” She addressed the fact that “some Ethiopian women believe cancer is something to be ashamed of. They don’t want their friends and relatives to know they have it and keep it a secret to themselves until it is too late or they are in the hospital. There is nothing shameful about breast cancer. It is a terrible disease that does not discriminate between women who are poor or rich, black or white or in whatever part of the world a woman may live in.”
She stressed essential facts that Ethiopian women should understand about the disease: “What I want to stress here more than anything else is the fact that Ethiopian women need to do regular medical checkups and get mammograms to catch any symptoms or signs of breast cancer. Breast cancer is not like the flu, it does not go away with a few days of bed rest. If left untreated, it gets worse by the day until it reaches a point where nothing can be done medically. Early detection of breast cancer is the key to survival.” She regretted the fact that because “Ethiopian women simply avoid doing the basic things that could help catch the disease at its early stage, over the years [she has] lost friends, acquaintances, co-workers and family members to this terrible disease. I have to say many lost their lives because they did not have timely breast cancer screening and diagnosis, or ignored their symptoms until after it was too late.”
Ethiopian Women Breast Cancer Awareness Month: A “Letter” to My Ethiopian Brothers
In her “Letter”, my wife insisted on the need for open discussion and community action in fighting breast cancer among Ethiopian women.
I know for many Ethiopian women in the U.S. there are cultural, language and financial issues that make it difficult to get regular checkups and screenings for breast cancer. I believe Ethiopian women helping each other could help greatly in dealing with these issues. That is why I ask all of my Ethiopian sisters to openly talk about breast cancer with each other at home, in places of worship and social events and gatherings and share information about early breast cancer detection and treatment. As we freely talk about our high blood pressure or diabetes, we should do the same with breast cancer so that we can get help in a timely fashion.
She called on “Ethiopian women doctors especially [to] play an important role in educating women about the disease, doing screenings and suggesting possibilities for those who may not be able to afford health care. There are many local clinics and hospitals in the U.S. that offer free breast cancer screenings for women who cannot afford it.” She hoped, “Ethiopian women could start breast cancer patient support groups in their local communities throughout the U.S. that can provide information and one-to-one support for those diagnosed with breast cancer or going through treatment.” She pleaded with “those in the religious community [to] play an important role by inviting knowledgeable health professionals in breast cancer to their community halls to educate Ethiopian women on how to access free or low cost health care to get checkups and mammograms.” She urged, “In many major cities, there are radio stations serving the Ethiopian community. They could help save many lives if they devoted some air time to breast cancer awareness and treatment. The same can be said of the various Ethiopian websites. I am hopeful that by next year this time, we will be able to have our first annual “Ethiopian Women Breast Cancer Awareness Month” to coincide with the national program.”
We believe it is important to share such information during this month of awareness for two reasons. First, it is important to chip away away at the deadly culture of secrecy and silence about cancer. Perhaps others may feel empowered to share their stories with the disease and spark broad conversation throughout Ethiopian communities worldwide. The best way to beat breast cancer is to be adequately informed about the disease and take prompt preventive and preemptive action. Second, we wanted to reassure our Ethiopian sisters and brothers that there is nothing shameful, immoral, wrong or scandalous about being a victim of breast cancer or any other cancer. But it is shameful, immoral, wrong and inexcusable to live in a country where services are available for early detection, diagnosis and treatment and not take advantage of them because of a misguided feeling of shame or fear of ostracism.
The fact of the matter is that there is extraordinary heroism in being a breast cancer survivor, or for that matter any other type of cancer. I believe the victory of women who have defeated breast cancer is no less than the victory of the valorous soldiers who have earned the Medal of Honor for fighting and defeating the enemy in the field of battle. That is because I have seen the courage, fortitude, stamina, bravery, endurance, determination and perseverance of those women who have fought and won over breast cancer. I have also seen the suffering, anguish, hardship, misery and torment of those heroines who lost their battles.
I believe Ethiopian men could make a special contribution to breast cancer awareness, early detection and treatment by undertaking some simple tasks. First, we should strive to educate ourselves on this deadly disease. Many of our mothers, sisters, wives and loved ones are so fearful of the disease that they will not seek out information or preventive care until it is too late. It should be our moral duty to insist and relentlessly remind them to get regular mammograms and checkups, particularly where they are available and affordable. It is inexcusable and immoral not to take advantage of such preventive services in countries where such services are available regardless of income. We should help out by organizing special outreach efforts for Ethiopian women during breast cancer awareness month and National Mammogram Day (third Friday in October). Various activities including walks and other charity events are organized to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer. We should make a special effort to participate in these events and mobilize the community in places where there are large concentrations of Ethiopians. It is not uncommon for Ethiopian women to suffer this deadly disease in quiet desperation. Support groups are especially needed to help those fighting breast cancer. We can play a central role in helping to create such groups. Information on locally available breast cancer resources (free mammogram services, public and private programs providing treatment) should be systematically gathered and readily made available to Ethiopian women, particularly in urban areas. Above all, Ethiopian men share the greatest responsibility in eradicating the ugly culture of secrecy and silence surrounding breast cancer by freely talking about it in all public forums and private settings.
This month, let us take time to salute our sisters who have prevailed over breast cancer. There are no greater heroines than breast cancer survivors. Let us also remember the sisters we have lost needlessly to breast cancer. Let us resolve to fight breast cancer through a massive community program of awareness, information and education. Routine checkups and early detection are the best weapons against breast cancer. Let’s join hands and defeat breast cancer one woman at a time!
“S/he who does not tell of his/her illness cannot expect to get the right medicine/cure.” Ethiopian proverb.
Amharic translations of recent commentaries by the author may be found at: http://www.ecadforum.com/Amharic/archives/category/al-mariam-amharic and http://ethioforum.org/?cat=24
Previous commentaries by the author are available at: http://open.salon.com/blog/almariam/ and www.huffingtonpost.com/alemayehu-g-mariam/
Nigerian TV commentator Adeola also updates you on the first lady of Ethiopia who refused to leave the national palace after her husband Meles Zenawi died 3 months ago.