This World Health Day, we’d like to introduce you to CoppaFeel!’s Health Information Manager, Clare. Known for her mind-boggling facts about the human body (and equally incredible stories), Clare makes sure that all our health information is accurate and up-to-date, as well as working first-hand with Healthcare Professionals. We spoke to Clare about World Health Day and her advice for getting to know your body.
Hi Clare, could you tell us a bit about what you do at CoppaFeel!?
I am the Health Information Manager at CoppaFeel! So it is my job to ensure that the health information we provide is accurate, up-to-date, credible and accessible. It’s also my job to engage with Healthcare Professionals to ensure that we are all promoting Breast Awareness to patients and the public, and to support them in their practice. We do that by providing educational materials and resources for doctors, nurses and other clinicians, so that we can ensure our life-saving message is reaching the public.
This year’s World Health Day is focussed around keeping humans and the planet healthy and creating societies based around wellbeing. What does this mean to you in your role?
I think of my role as a Public Health role. I am a nurse myself and also a breast cancer patient – I was diagnosed in 2017 and am now cancer-free – so I am passionate about making Breast Awareness a Public Health priority. I know first-hand how important Breast Awareness and early diagnosis can be. I also know health is personal and about more than just following a set of rules. The World Health Organisation defines health as more than just the absence of disease, but about physical, mental and social wellbeing. In my view, health is an ongoing process, not a destination. It is a balance. When it comes to my role, I am proud to work for CoppaFeel! because our mission is to encourage people to get to know their bodies, and empower them to take ownership of their health. To me that aligns so well with the WHO definition of health because it acknowledges that health is a holistic and empowering state. For example, there are many people living well with cancer, or living well beyond cancer, like me. At CoppaFeel! our aim is to ensure breast cancers are diagnosed early, but we also encourage people to get to know their bodies, which is a really positive thing.
What would your advice be for someone who wants to be proactive about their health and wellbeing?
Get to know your body. Don’t be embarrassed, ashamed or scared of it. Living well means respecting your body, not punishing it. Trust your gut instincts. Talk to your Healthcare Professional if you have concerns or you are confused about your health. Healthcare Professionals are there to help – tell them what matters to you. Don’t be scared to advocate for yourself and your specific needs. Treat Healthcare Professionals with respect, but don’t be scared of them! They want to help. If in doubt, get checked out. You can always contact your Doctor online or over the phone – it doesn’t need to be immediate, but don’t put something off if you have a health concern.
ARE YOU A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL?
If you are a Healthcare Professional, we have a webinar series this year just for you! These webinars are run by myself and as a nurse and breast cancer patient I provide a few perspectives that hopefully you will find useful. The webinars are CPD-accredited and some of the Learning Objectives include:
- Explain the principles of breast awareness
- Describe signs and symptoms and how to check
- Expose common breast cancer myths vs fact
- Recognise when to make referrals
