Dr Wiafe Addia (right) receiving the cheque fromMrs Obimpeh (LEFT) cheq

Breast Care International (BCI) in collaboration with the Affluent team of Stanbic Bank Ghana has organised a free breast cancer screen­ing for residents of Ashiyie Fulani in Accra on Saturday.

About 100 women from the commu­nity were screened for the disease.

Speaking ahead of the screening exercise, the President of BCI, Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai said most breast cancers were not detected early in Ghana due to late diagnosis.

She said the disease had no re­spect for any person and that it could affect both men and women with the latter being the most affected.

She said though it affects women the most, it has its repercussions on men as “every man has a woman in his life; it could be his mother, wife, sister or daughter.”

Dr Wiafe Addai said breast cancer was prevalent and the most common female cancer in Ghana, hence the need to have adequate knowledge about it.

She said it was unfortunate that some women resort to prayer camps and other forms of medications in an attempt to cure themselves of the disease but stated that “all this is because of lack of awareness.”

She said a lot of the women were dying ‘needlessly and prematurely’ with some dying at the age of 28 years because they did not seek for treatment early after being diag­nosed of breast cancer.

Dr Wiafe Addai who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Peace and Love Hospital, educated the women on the risk factors of the disease which included hereditary, women who had never conceived or given birth before, women with one child who is above 33 years and career women.

She also said women who smoke cigarette or ‘shisha’, use skin light­ening agents, and the intake of oily foods as well as lack of exercise could put a woman at risk of having breast cancer.

Dr Wiafe Addai also encouraged them to visit the hospital whenev­er they noticed a change on their breast.

The head of Affluence for Stanbic Bank Ghana, Mrs Margaret Obimpeh said the team every year looks out for a social intervention to support while team members individually contrib­utes to support that project.

“This year our project is on breast cancer awareness and this is a col­lective contribution from our unit in support of the work that Breast Care International is doing,” she said.

The team later presented a cheque for GH¢20,000 to Dr Wiafe Addai to help alleviate the cost of breast can­cer treatment for patients diagnosed of the disease.

 By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu