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Dr (Mrs) Beatrice Wiafe-Addai, President of Breast Care International (BCI) an NGO on Monday said the survival or death of a Breast Cancer patient should not be determined by her location in the country.

“Where a woman lives, should not determine whether she should survive or die from Breast Cancer. Let us all walk for the cure; together we can defeat Breast Cancer”.

Dr Wiafe-Addai made the observation at the Media Launch for the Sixth BCI Ghana Walk for the Cure 2016 in Kumasi.

It is on the theme “Do Not Be Afraid, Get Checked”. “Early Detection and Prompt Action is the Key and Equal to Prevention”.

The annual Walk is jointly organized by the Management of Peace and Love Hospitals in Accra and Kumasi and BCI, an NGO dedicated to breast cancer awareness, screening and treatment throughout the country.

The first Walk was held in Kumasi in 2011 and participated by about 13,000 people; the second also in Kumasi in 2012 by about 20,000 people and the third in Accra in 2013 had about 30,000 people participating.

About 35,000 people took part in the fourth Walk in Sunyani in 2014, while about 40,000 people participated in the fifth Walk in the twin-city of Sekondi-Takoradi in 2015; about 40,000 people are expected in this year’s Walk in Kumasi on Saturday, October 1.

Dr Wiafe-Addai who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Peace and Love Hospitals in Accra and Kumasi noted that most of the patients lived in rural areas and had difficulty in accessing health care but with the intensified awareness creation through the Walk early detection would continue to be the cure.  

She explained that the Walk was initiated to showcase breast cancer survivors to the public to enable them to disabuse their minds of the myths and misconceptions about the disease and the notion that the patients die when attacked by the disease.

Dr Wiafe-Addai commended members of the Peace and Love Survivors Association (PALSA) mostly patients who had survived from the disease for their tremendous work to create awareness about the disease in the communities through their personal experiences.

She urged media practitioners particularly the electronic media to intensify the awareness creation on the disease especially in the rural communities to reduce deaths.  

Dr Wiafe-Addai, a Breast Cancer Specialist and Surgeon, pointed out that with the achievements and impacts made through the Walk, BCI would not be complacent because advanced stages of the disease continued to be reported at health facilities indicating that people still had fear about it.

“Women should endeavour to do away with the fear. Diagnosis of breast cancer is not akin to death. The disease is curable and patients can survive,” She added.