Chisinau, September 23 (Infotag). Cosmetics producer Avon has launched in Moldova an anti-breast cancer campaign aimed to raise the public awareness and drum up support for fighting the disease.

Avon CEO Romulus Sirbu told a news conference Thursday that the funds generated from sales of special products will be used to acquire equipment for diagnostics and treatment of the breast cancer patients at the National Oncology Institute.

“The campaign will start off with the sales of exclusive brooches; eventually, there will be some other non-cosmetic items added,” Sirbu said.

Apart from the sales, the campaign – underway in Balti, Cahul, Orhei, Ungheni, Edinet, and Soroca from September 25, and in Chisinau from September 29 – will include distribution of information brochures.

The campaign has no particular time limit; our main goal is to raise funds for medical equipment and help the socially-vulnerable women (aged and the national minority representatives) without medical insurance, Sirbu emphasized.

Head of the Mammological Clinic Nadezhda Godoroja confirmed at this stage the disease is found in 850-950 women of which 500 die.

Breast cancer can affect the relatively young women as well and even those who haven’t yet reached the reproductive age, she explained.

The above, in part, is due to the Chernobyl disaster that has prompted iodine deficiency in a body.

The Avon anti-breast cancer worldwide campaign has been underway since 1993 during which time more than $350 mln have been raised in over 50 countries for research, prevention, diagnostics and treatment of breast cancer.