Madar (Nouakchott) - NGOs and civil society groups held an awareness march on women's cancers in Nouakchott on Thursday, October 22, 2026, coupled with a free screening day, at the initiative of the NGO Sauvons une Vie (Let's Save a Life) for Pink October, according to a report by Radio France Internationale (RFI).
Hundreds took part in the march, carrying banners calling for the fight against cancer and for screening, before heading to the screening site. The initiative aims to break the taboo around the disease and encourage women to get screened in time.
Moussa Ndiaye, a co-founder of the NGO, said there is not enough information about the disease in Mauritania and that the organisation runs awareness campaigns every year. Hawa Ba, a civil society member, pointed to "a problem of infrastructure for treatment", saying civil society's role is to inform women and help them get screened early.
Haouwa Mamadou Dieng, who recovered from breast cancer after a mastectomy, urged women to get screened: "The earlier cancer is found, the better the chances of recovery."
According to World Health Organization figures cited by RFI, more than 840 women in Mauritania were diagnosed with cancer in 2024, and some 400 deaths were recorded.
