The National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), together with its partners, is organising the AIA Pink Run event as a way to give all Cambodian women the opportunity to receive free breast cancer screenings. Screenings will take place in front of Wat Botum Park from October 17 to 19.
Speaking at a July 14 press conference, Vath Chamroeun, NOCC secretary-general, described the upcoming AIA Pink Run — scheduled for Sunday, October 19 — as a “run to raise awareness and prevent breast cancer”. He expressed hope that many people will register, both to support the cause and to encourage all women to get screened for breast cancer during the event, which is sponsored by AIA Cambodia.
“The main goal of this sports event is to support women affected by breast cancer. Another important aim is to promote charitable involvement, which is a key principle in all NOCC sporting events,” he said.
In its first edition in 2023, the AIA Pink Run attracted 3,600 participants. In 2024, the number rose to 4,000, and for 2025, Vath Chamroeun expects around 5,000 runners. He emphasised that women who don’t register for the race are still welcome to receive free screenings.
“We want to see as many women as possible take part in this event. Whether you run or not, you are all welcome to come and get screened! As the country develops, public health becomes more important, and breast cancer remains a hidden killer. It must be diagnosed by specialists in time to be treated,” he noted.
Addressing Cambodia’s breast cancer issue, Jane Tay, CEO of AIA Cambodia, said the AIA Pink Run 2025 is the centrepiece of the AIA Fit for Hope campaign, Cambodia’s largest breast cancer awareness initiative. The campaign has focused on education and prevention since 2017.
“Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among Cambodian women, accounting for nearly 20 per cent of all female cancer cases. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 2,116 Cambodian women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022,” she explained.
Tay stressed that late diagnosis remains a major concern, as it is the leading cause of breast cancer deaths. Early detection, she said, can save lives.
To address this urgent issue, AIA will expand its services in 2025 by offering free breast health screenings at major public locations such as AEON Mall, K Mall in Phnom Penh and in six additional provinces.
“This expansion ensures that more women will have easier access to free breast cancer screenings,” said Tay.
Since launching the campaign in 2017, AIA has provided free screenings to more than 15,000 women.
In 2024 alone, 5,129 women were screened — 21 per cent of whom were found to have suspicious breast lumps. These numbers, she added, are powerful evidence of the need to expand awareness and screening in order to save more lives.
Sem Phalla, executive director of marathon event organisation in Cambodia, expressed strong support for Tay’s remarks, noting that breast cancer remains the leading form of cancer among Cambodian women.
He called on the public, especially women, to register for the AIA Pink Run 2025, to show support for Cambodian women’s health and to help raise awareness of breast cancer.
He encouraged everyone to come for screenings in front of Wat Botum Park on October 17, 18, and on race day, October 19, regardless of whether they participate in the race itself. The event will feature three race distances, 2.5, 5 and 10 kilometres.
