“We can defeat breast cancer together” – Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai rallies global support at BCI Walk for the Cure 2025 in Kumasi
President of Breast Care International (BCI), Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai, has renewed calls for collective action in the fight against breast cancer, declaring that “we can actually defeat breast cancer” if awareness, education, and early detection are sustained.
She was addressing thousands of participants during the 13th edition of the BCI Walk for the Cure at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Saturday, October 4, 2025.
The annual walk, themed “A Cure Worth Fighting For,” drew participants from Morocco, the United States, the Netherlands, Yemen, France, and across Ghana.
Among the Ghanaian participants were school children, market women, security agencies, civil society organisations, the clergy, and traditional leaders.
The colourful procession through the principal streets of the Central Business District in Kumasi, marked by music and dance, demonstrated the growing public resolve to end deaths caused by the disease.
Dr Wiafe Addai, who has led the BCI campaign for over two decades, said education remains the most effective tool against the myths and fears surrounding breast cancer.
“We need to continuously educate our women,” she said, and “We must let them know that breast cancer is a hospital disease, not caused by witchcraft. Looking at our young ones today gives me hope that the future will be brighter because they will grow up with the right knowledge.”
The BCI President expressed concern that despite years of awareness campaigns, many women still delay seeking medical help.
“We have raised a lot of awareness, but we are left with how to change the mentality of our people,” she said.
“Our women should not waste precious time in prayer camps when the disease can be treated at the hospital. Let your pastor pray for you, but go to the hospital for treatment,” she added.
Dr Wiafe Addai lamented that more than 2,300 women die annually from breast cancer in Ghana, a figure she described as “unacceptable and higher than COVID-19 deaths recorded in two years in the country.”
She warned that late presentation worsens the disease, making treatment difficult. “Once there’s no pain, people think there’s no danger,” she noted.
“But the longer you wait, the more the disease spreads to vital organs like the liver, brain, and bones,” she emphasized.
Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai, who is also the CEO of Peace and Love Hospitals in Ghana, also called on men to be active allies in the campaign, emphasizing that breast cancer affects families and communities, not just women.
“Every man has a woman in his life – a mother, wife, sister, or daughter,” she stated. “So let’s not see breast cancer as a woman’s issue. When we support our women, many of them will survive.”
Highlighting ongoing projects, Dr Wiafe Addai announced progress toward establishing the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Excellence, the first standalone cancer centre in Ghana and West Africa.
The facility, located at Kwaso, near Ejisu in the Ashanti region of Ghana, she said, will cater to all forms of cancer, including cervical, prostate, and colorectal cancers.
“Let us own the project and see it as ours before asking outsiders for help,” she urged.
Dr Wiafe Addai concluded by thanking the Ghana Education Service, the Manhyia Palace, the Otumfuo Foundation, the security services, and volunteers for their commitment to the cause.
“Let’s remove the fear and stigma surrounding breast cancer,” she said.
“Every woman should be her own advocate, enough of the gone-too-soons and untimely deaths, early detection and prompt action save lives,” Dr Wiafe Addai posited.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/Francis Appiah
