Project Flamingo, a non-profit organisation that provides support for women with breast cancer in the public healthcare sector, believes awareness matters. It gives women courage to talk about breast health, it reduces stigma and it reminds the world that no one should walk this journey alone. But awareness on its own cannot save lives, says the NPO.

A mammogram only matters if treatment follows. A ribbon only matters if it leads to care, adds the NPO.

The Harder Truth

In South Africa, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Yet too many patients in our public health system face long and painful waits, sometimes months, sometimes years, before they can get the treatment they need, says the NPO.

These delays are not just inconvenient. They are dangerous. Even women who do everything right — seeking help, attending screenings, reporting symptoms — often find themselves stuck in queues for tests, surgery or oncology appointments. By the time treatment begins, their cancer has already advanced, adds the NPO.

A Siren We Cannot Ignore

Breast cancer has become more than a disease. It is a siren, alerting us to the deep political and socio-economic failures in our health system. Inequality, under-resourcing, and broken promises play out in the most intimate way possible. To ignore these signals is to miss the bigger truth: health is not only medical, it is profoundly social and political, says the NPO.

What is Really Needed

If we want to change the story of breast cancer in South Africa, the focus cannot stop at ribbons and awareness drives. We need functioning diagnostic clinics, enough theatre time for surgery, more chemotherapy chairs, radiotherapy machines that work, access to essential medicines, and oncology teams who are supported to do their work, adds the NPO.

What Project Flamingo Does

For 15 years, Project Flamingo has worked alongside hospitals, doctors, nurses and communities to make cancer care more timely, equitable and humane. According to Project Flamingo, the NPO offers tangible interventions such as:

  • running catch-up surgery lists
  • helping fund extra staff in diagnostic and oncology clinics
  • supporting hospitals with urgent staging backlogs, and
  • providing essential patient support and psychosocial care.

The Real Test of Solidarity

Solidarity cannot be measured by how many ribbons are worn or cupcakes are sold. The real test of solidarity is whether government, corporates and individuals invest not only in awareness but in action: by supporting cancer clinics, strengthening health systems and backing NGOs that bridge the gap between awareness and access, adds the NPO.

Moving from Pink to Justice

Awareness has given breast cancer visibility. But visibility must be matched with action, says Project Flamingo.

South African women do not need more balloons or hashtags. They need access to timely, evidence-based and dignified care. And that is not just a medical issue — it is a moral one, adds the NPO.

For Project Flamingo, pink is not just a symbol. It is a promise: to keep asking the harder questions, to keep speaking the uncomfortable truths, and to keep showing up for women who cannot afford to wait, concludes the NPO.

For more information, visit www.projectflamingo.co.za. You can also follow Project Flamingo on Facebook, or on Instagram.

*Image courtesy of contributor