In Tunisia, October is Colored with Two Shades: the Vibrant Red of Pomegranates in Markets and the Pink of Ribbons Reminding Us of the Urgency of Breast Cancer Screening
This year, Roche Tunisia SA, in partnership with the Tunisian Society of Medical Oncology (STOM) and the Ministry of Health, is launching a new national awareness campaign: "إيجا نفركو الرمّانة" (Let's Open the Pomegranate, Let's Open the Dialogue). This campaign is part of Roche Tunisia's ongoing initiatives to strengthen breast cancer prevention and screening through a proximity, inclusive, and cultural approach.
The Pomegranate, a Symbol of Life and Speech
The pomegranate, a symbol of life, health, and femininity, becomes the guiding thread of an initiative that invites people to break the silence surrounding breast cancer. The pomegranate is not just a seasonal fruit; it contains hundreds of seeds, just like the body contains thousands of cells. Some give life, while others can become problematic. Just as we open the pomegranate to reveal its heart, this campaign encourages people to look, talk, consult, and no longer turn a blind eye or wait.
Figures that Tell the Story of Urgency
Breast cancer remains the leading female cancer in Tunisia, accounting for nearly 30% of cancers in women. Today, one in ten women is affected. In Tunisia, more than half of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in women over 50, and up to 10% of cases are reported in young women under 35. While the disease is progressing, screening efforts and medical advances are saving more lives. Breast cancer mortality is declining by about 1.2% per year. However, many women still do not undergo regular screening, often due to a lack of information or access to services. This campaign aims to address this barrier.
Supporting National Screening Efforts
By supporting national screening efforts, this campaign, in collaboration with STOM, contributes to the national strategy to combat cancer, led by the Ministry of Health.
The Figures Don't Say It All, Women Do
Because each woman has a story, a strength, and sometimes silences, Roche Tunisia and STOM are launching the "إيجا نفركو الرمّانة" campaign, an invitation to talk, understand, and act against breast cancer. This initiative targets all Tunisian women, wherever they are, by bringing awareness closer to their daily lives through a nationwide deployment.
A Multichannel Approach
The campaign adopts a multichannel approach, combining field awareness, media interventions, and digital mobilization. Testimonials, health chronicles, and local activations will allow the campaign to reach a wide and diverse audience.
On the Roads and in Shopping Centers
Billboards with a gentle tone address women, reminding them of a simple yet essential gesture: listening to their bodies. Self-examination is presented not as a medical act, but as a reflex of care and trust in oneself.
On the Radio, Speech is Freed
Interventions by STOM experts aim to inform, reassure, and remind that each stage, from screening to recovery, can be accompanied and supported.
On Social Media, the Discussion Continues
Testimonials give a voice to those who live with or accompany the disease. The tone is sincere, human, and sometimes intimate, reminding that awareness often begins with a shared story.
The Campaign Takes to the Streets
With the pomegranate caravan, Roche Tunisia and STOM will meet the public to listen, exchange, and encourage screening. This itinerant device will stop in Tunis and Testour, on the occasion of the Pomegranate Festival, a symbol of life, connection, and solidarity.
A Strong Moment in October
Where science, speech, and proximity come together to make prevention a collective act.
A Shared Commitment
"This campaign is part of our ongoing commitment to strengthen prevention, early diagnosis, and access to innovation. We want to give every woman the power of speech and preventive action," says Asma Messai, Interim General Manager of Roche Tunisia SA. This shared commitment is part of a common approach with the Tunisian Society of Medical Oncology (STOM), a key partner in this initiative.
A Simple Message: Screen, Detect Early, and Act Quickly
For the body, as for the fruit, every step counts. A damaged seed is visible, an anomaly detected early can be treated. Opening the pomegranate is discovering what it hides. Talking about breast cancer is doing the same with one's body. Screening, detecting early, and acting quickly: that's where everything happens. Behind each diagnosis, there are lives, families, and hopes. Breaking the silence is already saving lives, and together, we make this speech a national commitment. The Ministry of Health, the Tunisian Society of Medical Oncology (STOM), and Roche Tunisia are uniting to make this message accessible to all women, so that breast cancer is no longer a trial lived alone or a fear kept to oneself.
