Josephine Oppong-Yeboah is a journalist and gender advocate
Gender advocate, Josephine Oppong-Yeboah, has admonished women not to see breast cancer as a spiritual or demonic condition but a medical issue that required medical treatment.
She expressed the concern that many women consider breast cancer as a spiritual condition and therefore do not seek early medical intervention, a situation, she noted had led to many of the victims losing their lives in the long run.
“Breast cancer like every other cancer, is not demonic but a medical issue that should be treated physically,” she noted.
In an interview, Ms. Oppong-Yeboah, who is also a media practitioner, said victims of breast cancer should not only rely on prayers but complement their prayers with medical treatment.
“Breast cancer knows no boundaries and it is our duty to equip ourselves with the necessary information to protect ourselves and our loved ones,” she said, adding that “Together, we can break the silence surrounding breast cancer and ensure that no woman feels alone in her journey.”
Oppong-Yeboah said there was the need to increase awareness on the condition, stressing that authorities should start educating women, including children at the basic education level about the disease.
For her, with proper education, many women would come to understand that breast cancer was not a demonic disease and that early detection could help save lives.
“Ignorance is dangerous and can be costly; that is why we need to make conscious efforts to educate the public about the condition,” she explained.
Ms. Oppong-Yeboah also called on the Ministry of Health to consider adding the treatment of breast cancer to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
She charged all institutions, be it public or private to have a programme on breast cancer during the month of October, which has been designated as breast cancer awareness month, sensitise their staff and stakeholders on the condition.
