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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
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
