Two thousand two hundred and sixty (2,260) women were diagnosed with breast cancer in the country in 2012, Dr (Mrs) Beatrice Wiafe-Addai, President, Breast Care International (BCI), a Non-Governmental Organisation, said on Tuesday.
She noted that though breast cancer is highly treatable, curable and survivable if diagnosed early, 70 percent of the Ghanaian women with the disease are in advanced stages.
Dr Wiafe-Addai was speaking at the media launch of the national �Walk for Cure� campaign, initiated by the BCI, a leading breast care awareness creation and research institution in the country, in Sunyani.
Under the theme �let�s join in the fight, we are stronger together�, the walk will take place in Sunyani on Saturday October 25, 2014 with about 30,000 expected participants made up queen mothers, musicians, film makers, government officials, students, Members of Parliament and market women.
Dr Wiafe-Addai explained that worldwide breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women.
She said global incidence and mortality of breast cancer is on the rise indicating that one woman dies from the disease every 69 seconds somewhere around the world.
It is estimated that nearly 1.7 million new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed with an estimated 522,000 deaths that occurred around the world in 2012, Dr Wiafe-Addai said.
�Our Organisation thought it timely to start the walk series, as we believe that our own inimitable and special Ghanaian way, would contribute to raising awareness on this disease which affects us all in varying degrees � women, men and children,� she noted.
Dr Wiafe-Addai thanked the inter-commercial Impex Limited, Peace and Love Hospitals, Philips HealthCare, Varian Medical Systems, Roche, Johnson and Johnson, Ghana Commercial Bank, Agricultural Development Bank, Unicredit, Direct Relief, Universal Merchant Bank, Unichem, First Capital Plus, Enterprise Group Ghana, Ghana Airports and Joe Kona Company Limited for their support.
�Corporate organisations are also encouraged to join in raising more awareness of this event by offering their time, products, services or by donating towards this very worthy cause,� she added.
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