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Hundreds walk in campaign against breast cancer
Chief Dr Wiafe Addai(hand raised) with Eze Dr. Chukwudi Ihenetu(in red cap)
and other dignitaries leading the walk
Breast Care International (BCI), a non-governmental organisation on Saturday embarked on a walk from the Obra Spot at Circle to Accra Central to raise awareness on breast cancer.
The walk dubbed ‘Breast cancer walk for the cure,’ was attended by hundreds of people drawn from the United States of America (USA), the Netherlands, Morocco and India.
Other participants of the walk included breast cancer survivors, students, members of the security services and staff of private organisations.
Participants held placards with inscriptions such as ‘Take your mammogram at least every year,’ ‘Breast cancer is survivable’, ‘Don’t be scared, be aware’, ‘When diagnosed, it is not the end,’ ‘Breast cancer may have started the fight, we have finished it’ and ‘All warriors have scars’ and walked through some selected principal streets and markets amidst music and dancing.
The theme for the walk was ‘Breaking the myth fighting for cure.’
The President of BCI, Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai, said it was time everyone, both male and female got involved in the fight against breast cancer, adding that though it was known as a disease for females, men were also prone to it.
The disease, she said was the number one killer disease for women and that it was taking the lives of women in their prime, hence the need for everyone to see it as a developmental and economic issue.
According to Dr Wiafe Addai, the cause of breast cancer was not known and that it could only be prevented through early detection and prompt action to save the lives of women.
She said survivors of breast cancer do not want others to know of their status because of stigmatisation, adding that “if there were still myth and misconception around breast cancer, we would not go far with the fight.”
She stated that when the disease was left unattended for a long time, the cancer will spread to other organs in the body.
Dr Wiafe Addai stated that only 10 per cent of breast cancer patients have record of it in their family and that the remaining 90 per cent have no family history of the disease, hence the need for regular check-ups.’
She said more than 4,000 women were diagnosed annually and out of the number, more than 2,000 of them died.
She urged women to avoid smoking and excessive intake of alcohol, reduce the fatty foods, consume more fruits and vegetables and exercise regularly.
The Chief of the Igbo community in Ghana, Dr Jude Chukwudi Ihenetu, called for sustained efforts in the fight against breast cancer especially in the rural areas.
That, he said, would make many women aware of the disease and seek for early treatment as well as save their lives.
He commended Dr Wiafe Addai for her efforts in the fight against breast cancer and called on government and private organisations to support her.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu