This once again proves the strong symbol that Kate Middleton represents in the United Kingdom.
Since the video announcement on Friday March 22, in which the Princess of Wales declared that she was suffering from cancer, hundreds of thousands of Britons are planning to be screened.
The local public health system - the National Health Service (NHS) - and some major cancer charities have indeed seen a notable increase in the number of visitors to their online sites, reports The
Sun
newspaper in an article from March 25.
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“Kate will save lives”
“Kate's courageous decision to speak out will save lives,” said Professor Peter Johnson, head of cancer control at the NHS in England.
He added: “There is no doubt that talking about cancer saves lives by encouraging people to come forward sooner if things are not going well.”
A crucial action when we know that rapid screening and treatment promote the chances of recovery.
As proof, “in the hours following the announcement, the NHS web page dedicated to cancer symptoms was consulted on average once every three seconds,” we learn in The
Sun
article .
There were 4,172 searches between 6 and 9 p.m., more than double the usual rate.
Furthermore, visits to the cancer homepage were “five times higher than normal over a 24-hour period.”
“You are not alone”
The same goes for cancer charities.
The Cancer Research UK noted an influx of more than 200,000 people on its information pages on the day of the announcement.
“An increase of 15% compared to usual attendance,” specifies the article, quoting Michelle Mitchell, the association's general director.
According to her, this increase in visits is the largest recorded since the Coronavirus crisis.
For its part, Macmillan Cancer Support, one of the largest British charities, recorded nearly 100,000 visitors during the weekend, or 10% more than a year earlier during the same period.
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If all these figures are to be believed, many Britons have heard the words of the Princess of Wales.
At the end of her video, she did not fail to have a thought for “all those who are faced with this disease, in whatever form it takes”.
“Don’t lose faith or hope,” she said.
You are not alone.”
The message seems to have gotten through.