Breast cancer needs attention

Ashanti Regional Minister, Samuel Sarpong, has described breast cancer as a deadly disease which needs seriousness attention from all and sundry in order to reduce its devastating effects.

“Breast cancer is a disturbing health issue globally and in Ghana. It is the commonest cause of cancer related deaths among women. It is, therefore, necessary to tackle it with all seriousness,” he pointed out.

The Ashanti Regional Minister was speaking during the opening of a workshop to train volunteers as community breast health promoters at the Peace and Love Hospital at Oduom in Kumasi on Friday.

Hon Sarpong said he was of the strong conviction that breast health knowledge, if imparted onto women, would help alleviate the risk of getting breast cancer and help reduce the rate of infection.

Organised by the Breast Care International (BCI) Ghana in collaboration with Peace and Love Hospital, the workshop saw 65 participants from the Presbyterian Ministers’ Wives Association (PMWA) attending.

The attendants were drawn from PMWA within the northern sector; West Bono, Brong Ahafo, Ashanti Region, Sekyere, Asante Akyem, Kwahu and the Sehwi Presbyteries.

Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, President of BCI Ghana, urged organisations to expend huge amount of monies to organise beauty pageants to start supporting health programmes.

She commended the media for the invaluable roles that it had played over the years to sensitise the public about the dangers of breast cancer, urging other identifiable bodies to join the fight against breast cancer.

The workshop was organised primarily to train the participants to acquire basic breast health knowledge in order to act as promoters who would engage their congregation and local communities.

Mrs. Rosekel Omenyo, President of the PMWA, said the training would provide members of her association with appropriate knowledge and skills that would help them to detect breasts ailments early so they could get proper treatment, early.

Nicola Manning, CEO, Inter-Commercial Impex Limited, said her outfit was proud to support BCI to create breast cancer awareness among women, promising that her company would continually support the programme.