Ghanaians advised to undertake regular medical checkups

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has repeated the call on Ghanaians to ensure regular medical checkups to help reduce deaths through non-communicable diseases.

Dr Kwabena Opoku Adusei, President of GMA, said cancer and cardiovascular related diseases and their attendant deaths were becoming a major health burden in the country.

It is therefore important for the people to accept to make routine visits to the medical facilities for proper examination and early treatment.

Dr Opoku-Adusei made the appeal at the media launch of the second “Susan G. Komen Ghana Race for the Cure, 2012”, in Kumasi.

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is the world’s largest and most successful awareness creation, education and fundraising event for breast cancer and related diseases.

It is being spearheaded in the country by Breast Care International (BCI), an NGO, working towards breast cancer awareness creation, prevention and cure, particularly, in the rural communities.

This year’s race would be held on May 25, to coincide with the African Union (AU) Day, and under the theme “Get involved, together we race for the cure.”

It is expected to attract about 15,000 participants to the principal streets in Kumasi to educate and provide information on the disease. They would encourage especially women to undertake regular self examination and seek early treatment of breast cancer.

Dr Opoku-Adusei, praised BCI for the initiative and pledged the support of the GMA to ensure the success of the event.

Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai, Chief Executive Officer of BCI, said Ghana ranks 10th in the burden of the disease in Africa.

In year 2010, a total of 2,062 women in the country had the disease.

She said the event will focus on preventing untimely deaths through breast cancer, and appealed to all to take keen interest and actively participate in the event.**