Documentando las experiencias de
personas que viven con ENT 

Christopher Agbega
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Noura Arnous
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Kenneth Mkandawire portrait
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Documentando las experiencias de
personas que viven con ENT 

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Modina Khatun portrait
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Nfortentem Aaron portrait
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Sabiha Khan portrait

Documentando las experiencias de
personas que viven con ENT 

Christopher Agbega
empty
Noura Arnous
empty
Kenneth Mkandawire portrait
empty

Documentando las experiencias de
personas que viven con ENT 

empty
Modina Khatun portrait
empty
Nfortentem Aaron portrait
empty
Sabiha Khan portrait

My name is Diana Gittens and I’m from Guyana. In 2011, I was diagnosed with stage 3B cervical cancer.

I currently coordinate Guyana’s largest cancer awareness and fundraising initiative at the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, I’m involved with the Healthy Caribbean Coalition and also an Our Views, Our Voices Global Advisory Committee member. Previously I was on the Board of Directors of the Dominica Cancer Society. My NCD Diary reflects on a few important learnings from my lived experience: beginning with uncertainty and fear and facing stigma to finding my community and becoming an advocate.

19 November 2020

Shhh…Say Nothing!

“You did IT plenty?”

This was a comment made by a male friend when I told him of my cervical cancer diagnosis. He was referring to my sexual activity. The shame I felt after his comment made me stop talking about my diagnosis.

The memory has stayed with me until now.

It took many months of encouragement from a female friend to finally have the courage to say, “My name is Diana Gittens. I was diagnosed with Stage 3B cervical cancer.”

Sadly, along my journey, I became increasingly aware of the stigma that prevents women from speaking about their diagnosis. They have admitted to being silenced by the words and actions towards their diagnosis. This includes the healthcare professionals misconstruing “promiscuity” as a risk factor for cervical cancer whilst placing little or no emphasis on women with single partner being diagnosed with the condition.  Fear of judgement prevents them from sharing their cervical cancer journey.

After over eight years of cervical cancer advocacy, I still hear the voice saying, “Shhh… Say Nothing! They will judge you”.

However, I listen to the loud, powerful cries of women seeking life-saving information about the symptoms, treatment and impact of cervical cancer on my life. And I will keep listening to the amazing, strength-filled journeys whispered to me by the women too shy to come forward and I will be their voice.

I will use every opportunity to share our common stories to increase awareness and motivate women to get screened.

I MUST say SOMETHING!

30 November 2020

Strength in Numbers

The sting of the stigma associated with cervical cancer sometimes paled in comparison to my other challenges. At every phase of my cancer journey, my challenges, questions and support needs differed. However, one thing remained constant; it was my need for a community. Here I could share my journey and be inspired by the journeys of my peers.

These communities included the men and women at my treatment centres and online forums. From each other, we learnt valuable lessons about our condition, survivorship and most importantly, how to thrive. These were lessons, insights and the type of support that our healthcare providers could not lend us.

Beyond medical treatment, there is the need for the kind of support I received and continue to receive through the connections I created. The opportunities for this are many a times restricted due to the layout of the healthcare facilities, their policies and culture.

Now COVID-19 has further complicated and severely affected the interactions of these communities.

My thoughts and energies are now focused on how we can remove the “silence barrier” and consistently strive to strengthen networks and communities. Through them, many of our questions are answered, fears quelled, and hopes are fuelled. COVID-19 has forced us to rely more on technology such as Zoom and WhatsApp to provide and receive support. Thus, we need to improve awareness, foster appreciation and facilitate access to the communication and collaboration tools available.

This sentiment is shared not only by those living with cancer, but also by many others from the NCD community. Thus, we need to unite our voices and call on governments, private sectors and civil society to support the creation of enabling environments. This can be achieved through access to knowledge and the provision of resources and skills needed to meet the unique needs of various communities.

NCD Diaries


We need to unite our voices and call on governments, private sectors and civil society to support the creation of enabling environments. This can be achieved through access to knowledge and the provision of resources and skills needed to meet the unique needs of various communities.

Diana Gittens, Our Views, Our Voices Global Advisory Committee member, Guyana

Conoce los diarios de las ENT

Audio icon Christopher Agbega

Christopher Agbega

Texto icon Nfortentem Aaron

Nfortentem Aaron

Audio icon Snehal Nandagawli

Snehal Nandagawli

Visual icon Nkiruka Okoro

Nkiruka Okoro

Texto icon Sabiha Khan

Sabiha Khan

Visual icon Modina Khatun

Modina Khatun

Texto icon Noura Arnous

Noura Arnous

Visual icon Jotham Johnson

Jotham Johnson

Visual icon Benjamin Olorunfemi

Benjamin Olorunfemi

Texto icon Maryanne Njuguna

Maryanne Njuguna

Texto icon Mariana Gomez

Mariana Gomez

Texto icon Karmila Munadi

Karmila Munadi

Texto icon Grace Achodo

Grace Achodo

Texto icon Joselyne Simiyu

Joselyne Simiyu

Texto icon Edith Mukantwari

Edith Mukantwari

Visual icon Anita Sabidi

Anita Sabidi

Visual icon Lucía Feito Allonca

Lucia Feito Allonca

Visual icon Neema Mohamed

Neema Mohamed

Visual icon Oduor Kevin Otieno

Oduor Kevin

Texto icon Takwe Boniface Njecko

Takwe Boniface Njecko

Texto icon Joseph Rukelibuga

Joseph Rukelibuga

Texto icon Brenda Chitindi

Brenda Chitindi

Texto icon Ashla Rani MP

Ashla Rani MP

Texto icon Chitrika De Mel

Chitrika De Mel

Texto icon Wendy Reaser

Wendy Reaser

Visual icon Robert Onyango

Robert Onyango

Visual icon Amber Huett-Garcia

Amber Huett-Garcia

Visual icon Linh Nguyen Ha

Linh Nguyen Ha

Audio icon Omar Abureesh

Omar Abu Reesh

Visual icon Mirriam Wakanyi

Mirriam Wakanyi

Texto icon John Gikonyo

John Gikonyo

Texto icon Samuel Kumwanje

Samuel Kumwanje

Audio icon Liz  Owino

Liz Achieng Owino

Visual icon Mazeda Begum

Begum Mazeda

Visual icon Katherine Berkoh

Katherine Berkoh

Texto icon Jean Marie Blaise Migabo

Jean Marie Migabo

Visual icon Rohan Arora

Rohan Arora

Visual icon Gloria Haro

Gloria Haro

Texto icon Adjo Rose Lankou

Adjo Rose Lankou

Audio icon Allison Ibrahim

Allison Ibrahim

Texto icon Stephen Ogweno

Stephen Ogweno

Texto icon Michael Donohoe

Michael Donohoe

Texto icon Jazz Sethi

Jazz Sethi

Texto icon Shamim Talukder

Shamim Talukder

Visual icon Vivian Gyasi Sarfo

Vivian Gyasi Sarfo

Visual icon Betsy Rodriguez

Betsy Rodriguez

Visual icon Ama Quainoo

Ama Quainoo

Visual icon Salome Agallo

Salome Agallo

Audio icon Seema Bali

Seema Bali

Texto icon Jaime Barba

Jaime Barba