Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. It is also the principal cause of death from cancer among women but lately. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one woman dies from the disease every 69 seconds somewhere around the world resulting in more than 1,300,000 women death from breast cancer globally.
The disease burden in Ghana has risen to the tenth position in Africa, which means that nearly 5 million of its 24 million people are at risk of developing breast cancer. In Ghana the latency in seeking care is often due to superstitions, lack of understanding about the disease’s early symptoms, and reluctance and fear that has been associated with this disease among others. A number of women hope for a self-cure or simply just entrust it to divine intervention.
In view of these facts, Breast Care International and Peace And Love Hospitals upon the invitations of the President of the Presbyterian Ministers’ wives Association, Mrs Rosekel Amenyo who hail from Nkoranza, and her brother Lawyer Tweneboah Kodua, and under the sponsorship of the African Women Development (AWDF), took part in the 58th Independence Day Celebration to educate participants in Nkoranza and its environs in the Brong Ahafo Region on breast health, especially breast cancer, and clinically screened them.
In her lecture, Dr. (Mrs.) Beatrice Wiafe Addai, President of BCI and C.E.O of Peace and Love Hospitals explained the devastating effects of breast cancer on the nation and the world at large. The women were informed that although the cause(s) of breast cancer is unknown, some potential risk factors have been identified and it was imperative for them to have knowledge of the risk factors which include being a woman, hereditary, nulliparity, elderly primips, recurrent breast infections, history of lumpectomy or lump in the breast, long menstrual cycle, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol consumption, etc.
Dr. Wiafe Addai explained various forms of diagnoses of the disease and the techniques of breast self-examination and advised participants to undertake monthly BSE.
She further encouraged the women to seek expert medical care if they detect anything abnormal with their breasts as prompt as possible.
The education was followed by clinical breast screening, which saw a substantial number of women taking part in the exercise to know their status with regard to the presence of any abnormality with their breasts.
The Municipal Chief Executive of Nkoranza and the Paramount chief, Nana Agyemang Kodom praised BCI and Peace and Love Hospitals for instituting grassroot education and breast screenings to create and sustain awareness about breast cancer in rural and urban communities, whiles promoting early detection and prompt treatment.
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