San Salvador, Feb 14: People suffering
from breast cancer, as well as organisations fighting to curb the disease, will benefit from a postage stamp introduced this month in El Salvador.
The initiative was launched by the Cure Breast Cancer
Research Foundation, Airline Ambassadors International, and
the First Lady of El Salvador, Ana Ligia de Saca.
"Tragically, some 1.3 million women will be diagnosed
with breast cancer and about half a million people around the
world will die from this scourge in 2009," said Nancy Rivard,
President of Airline Ambassadors International, who added, "we
only wish we could do more."
A cancer specialist who headed oncological surgery
departments at major US Hospitals, Dr Ernie Bodai, set up the
BCRS in the United States in 1998.
"Since its inception in the US, the stamp has raised
over USD 70 million through the sales of some 900 million
stamps," Bodai said.
Board member of Counterpart Caribbean, Lelei LeLaulu,
lauded the initiative which he hoped would be replicated in
other Latin American and Caribbean countries.
"Philatelic philanthropy is making an important
impression in the fight against this dreadful disease," he
said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, February 14, 2009, 00:00