To fight early stages of breast cancer among Ghanaian women in most communities, about one hundred and thirty young community based nurses are to go under basic oncology training in Kumasi.
The project institutionalized by Breast Care International (BCI) is aimed principally at cancer and cervical cancers awareness creation and provision of jobs for unemployed nurses at the community level drawn from Ashanti and Eastern Regions. The two piloting regions are said to have been recording high rates in breast cancer cases in the country.
At the opening ceremony to kick start the training program, the Minister for Children, Gender and Social Protection, Hon Otiko Afisa Djaba revealed the increasing rate of breast and cervix cancers in Ghana and Africa at large in the past year continue to be alarming.
She however entreated women to seek medical attentions anytime they see abnormal changes in the development of their breast rather than sitting unconcerned to avoid complications.
She revealed how her ministry has planned to roll patients suffering from some diseases like sickle cells, fistula, breast and cervical cancer, prostate cancer under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) to support them with their medications.
In their presentations, the Eastern Regional Minister, Hon Eric Kwakye Darfour and the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister Hon Elizabeth Agyeman advised the participants to show seriousness in the training so as to save more lives from breast cancer and also lauded the Breast Care International for their gesture in equipping community based nurses with the know-how on diagnosing breast and cercal cancers and referring to Hospitals for further checks and examination.
The President for Breast Care International, Dr Mrs. Beatrice Wiafe Addai expressed worry over how they keep losing the fight against the disease despite the numerous attacks against the disease all because of the attitude of some affected women.
She continued by adding that Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women accounting for over hundred times more in women than in men worldwide.
‘I have not grown to know that herbal medicine can be used to treat breast cancers so stop drinking concoctions with the hope that your breast cancer will be treated but visit the hospital for proper medical attention” Dr Mrs. Beatrice Wiafe Addai opined.
Breast Cancer in Ghana is the tenth in Africa (GLOBOCON), which means that nearly 5 million of its 24 million people are reported to be at high risk for developing the disease.
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