Breast Care International Initiates Breast Health Education and Awareness Program for Schools.
By: Bruce Misbahu Bulmuo
Breast Care International (BCI) and sister organization, Peace and Love Hospitals have started a Breast Health Education and Awareness Program (BEAP) initiative to educate students and teachers on breast health, particularly breast cancer.
BCI on Thursday collaborated with the authorities of the Roman Catholic Girls Junior High School at Mbrom, Kumasi, to educate and conduct clinical breast screening for students of the school.
The occasion was the launch of activities to mark the school’s 80th anniversary celebrations. The event started with a mass officiated by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi, His Grace, Most Rev. Gabriel Justice Yaw Anokye.
BCI and Peace and Love Hospitals believe that training and educating students and teachers on breast health in a way they could communicate with each other is a step in the right direction.
The students can become breast cancer ambassadors in their homes and communities, where they can also spread the message by educating members of their immediate families and friends.
A para-medical team from Peace and Love Hospitals educated the students, teachers, and other invited guests about breast cancer, a disease that has become a public health concern globally.
They were informed of the potential risk factors that can contribute to a person contracting breast cancer, albeit the cause factor(s) are unknown to medical researchers.
The methods of diagnostics that include ultra-sound scan, mammography and clinical breast examination were explained to the gathering, who were also informed that breast cancer is treatable and curable if detected early.
The students also received education on breast self-examination, its importance, and the procedure of doing it, with strong encouragement to them to conduct BSE religiously every month.
The para-medical team clinically screened over 500 students between the ages of 12 and 16 and their teachers for any breast related health problem, particularly breast cancer. Some suspected cases were referred for clinical diagnostics.
