The President of Breast Care International, (BCI), Dr. Mrs.Beatrice Wiafe Addai has charged health personnel in Ghana to adopt ‘house-to-house’ breast cancer screening strategy in attempt to control the spread of breast cancer in the country.
This, according to the breast cancer campaigner, will afford them the chance to get constant interactions with women who might not get time to frequent health facilities for breasts cancer screening.
It will also allow the health personnel to detect early any breast cancer threats and the right steps taken to control the dreadful disease, she added.
Dr. Mrs. Wiafe Addai, who is the President-elect for the Africa Organization for Research and Training into Cancers (AORTIC) and the CEO of Peace and Love Hospitals in Ghana, said this in her speech on Wednesday March 28, 2018, at the launch of ‘Preventive Health Units’ at Government Hospital and health compounds in the Prestea Huni Valley municipal in the Western region, by the Golden Stars Resource Company Limited, Bogoso/Prestea Limited, a mining company.
The establishment of the prevention units, initiated by the Golden Stars Resource Ladies, with partners Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Ghana Health Services, Breast Care International and AEL Mining Services, will serve eight health centers and thirty communities in the municipality, in the control of breast cancer by giving education and treatments to women in the catchment area.
Dr. Wiafe Addai said most women come to the hospitals with advanced stage of the disease which make it possible to be cured.
“Breast cancer is curable if report early to the hospital but most women came to the hospital with late cases which make treatment very difficult, all because they did not feel pains in the breast. But if we go to them at their homes, market places and during their social gatherings, there is a possibility of getting most of them to screened and proper education given,” she added.
“If we are to wait at the units for the women to come for screening and education, they will not come, especially if they do not have any problem with breasts, once we approach them and educate them on the disease, they will be equipped with the knowledge of the disease, which will help them to inform their thoughts on some misconceptions like the disease been caused by witchcraft,” she noted.
The President of Golden Stars Ladies Club, Makki Rashida Iddrisu, in an interview with Otec News’ Francis Appiah said as part of their corporate social responsibility, it has been able to screen 10,400 women and girls and save 270 lives of people suffering from breast cancer who were discovered through their advocacy campaigns, since its inception in 2013.
“Through our advocacy outreaches, we have been able to bring free and confidential screening to communities that would otherwise not have access to information on breast cancer. We have reahed out to 30 communities, and mine sites, through the conduct of screening at 41 locations, including 7 Junior and Senior High Schools, not to talk about the provision of education materials to participants, and community health facilities,” she added.
In November 2017, the breast cancer awareness programme was awarded with the converted Ghana Mining Industry Award for “Corporate Social Investment Project of the Year”
The programme was graced by the MCE of Prestea Huni Valley Municipal, Hon. Morzat Kweku Owusu, the Municipal Health Director, Emmanuel Kofi Tamakloe, staff of Golden Stars Resources Company Limited and health officials.
Source: otecfmghana.com/Francis Appiah
