With more than 1,300 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in Jamaica each year, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness is emphasising the need for more women to get screened to ensure early detection and reduce fatalities.

“It is estimated that breast cancer accounts for approximately 35 to 40 per cent of female cancers in Jamaica and it is growing. With early detection, a proper lifestyle of activity, proper diet, and good mental health, we can reduce the incidence of breast cancer,” he said.

The prime minister was addressing the 25th annual Jamaica Reach 2 Recovery (JR2R) Pink Run held at Emancipation Park in St Andrew on Sunday, November 16.

More than 16,000 people participated in the 5k run/walk, which aimed to raise funds to support JR2R’s work in providing emotional, psychological, and financial aid to breast cancer survivors in Jamaica, assisting with costs for treatments, mammograms, and other medical needs. 

Evans Tetteh from Jamaica College won the event with a time of 16 minutes and 25 seconds.

Prime Minister Holness, who addressed the participants at the start of the event, reminded them they were competing for a purpose. He urged them to help raise awareness about breast cancer—which is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide—in an effort to reduce the rate of fatalities.

“There’s something about the survivors that transmits this hope, this energy, and I, today, want to celebrate the survivors,” Dr Holness said.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, in his remarks, noted the importance of the work being done by JR2R. “Everyone knows someone with breast cancer or of an experience with breast cancer. It’s all about early detection and public education, and Pink Run really brings greater awareness, while raising funds, while promoting some good exercise,” Tufton said.

“Cancer is an increasing disease in the population and is one of the fastest rates of growth among diseases, so we have to do more about the awareness. We have to try our best to prevent, to diet, to exercise, but also support early detection so it doesn’t lead to fatality,” he said.

For JR2R President, Sandra Samuels, the Pink Run was a success, surpassing its participation and fundraising targets.

“We have passed our target of 15,000 [competitors]—we are almost at 16,000. We surpassed our financial goal of $25 million—we are now at $28 million and counting. So, we will be sharing in the west, starting with Montego Bay, St Elizabeth and Westmoreland, because their [breast cancer awareness] events were cancelled,” Samuels said.

According to the Global Cancer Observatory, Jamaica recorded 1,327 new cases of breast cancer in 2022, which represented 35 per cent of all new cancer cases in the country that year. Approximately 684 women died from the disease during that period, representing a 9.8 per cent increase over the previous year. The average age of presentation for breast cancer among Jamaican women is 54 years, which is eight years younger than the 62 years that is reported in the United States (US).

Reports from the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) indicate that approximately 60 per cent of women presenting with breast cancer were between the ages of 25 and 59 years, while the majority of women in the population are reported as having their first mammogram over the age of 55 years.

The 2025 staging of JR2R’s Pink Run event was originally scheduled for October 26, during Breast Cancer Month, but was postponed as the country prepared for Hurricane Melissa.