DAKAR, Senegal — Senegal’s 2026 Octobre Rose campaign has moved into its screening phase, with free breast-cancer examinations beginning on October 1 at the headquarters of the Senegalese League Against Cancer (LISCA).

More than 50 women attended the first day of free screening in Dakar, according to Le Soleil, as health workers encouraged women to check for possible abnormalities rather than delay medical assessment.

LISCA President Dr Fatma Guenoune said the organisation aims to encourage as many women as possible to participate in screening. The campaign’s consultations at the LISCA centre are scheduled to continue from October 1 through October 30.

The initiative comes amid figures from LISCA indicating approximately 2,220 new breast-cancer cases and more than 1,300 deaths each year in Senegal. The organisation has stressed the importance of early detection and follow-up care for women who are found to have abnormalities.

The campaign is also linked to plans for a new women's cancer screening centre at Dalal Jamm Hospital in Guédiawaye, being developed through a partnership involving Fondation Sénégal Solidaire and LISCA. The planned centre is intended to bring screening services closer to women in the Dakar suburbs.

The 2026 campaign is being held under the theme “Agir pour la vie”, with screening and awareness activities continuing throughout October.