Kasoa: The Meena Breast Cancer Foundation has urged the government to treat breast cancer as a national emergency, calling for intensified education, regular screening, and expanded support services to curb the disease's growing toll across Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Meena Breast Cancer Foundation, made the appeal during a free breast cancer education and screening exercise at the Amina Mosque in Krispol City, Kasoa, where some 500 women participated. Speaking on the sidelines of the event, he noted that despite increased awareness, breast cancer cases continued to rise, revealing a deepening public health crisis that demands year-round attention.
Mr. Kwarteng, who also serves as Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation, founded the Meena Breast Cancer Foundation in memory of his late wife, Amina, who died of breast cancer in Turkey in June 2022. Since its inception on October 6, 2022, the Foundation has visited more than 100 secondary schools and communities nationwide to raise awareness and promote early detection.
The findings from these visits are alarming, with Kwarteng describing the situation as a 'national tragedy' requiring urgent attention. He stressed the importance of treating breast cancer as a national emergency and announced that the Foundation is constructing a breast cancer center in Potsin, Central Region, to improve access to diagnosis and treatment.
Kwarteng criticized the tendency to limit breast cancer awareness campaigns to October, advocating for a year-round approach. He urged the Ghana Health Service and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to join mass sensitization efforts, treating breast cancer as a national emergency akin to past HIV/AIDS campaigns.
He also highlighted the issue of late diagnoses and missed detections, encouraging individuals to seek medical attention at the first sign of discomfort. Kwarteng called on corporate Ghana, international health agencies, and philanthropists to support the Foundation's initiatives and the completion of its breast cancer center.
Mr. Erskine Ebenezer, Outreach Officer of the Meena Breast Cancer Foundation, educated participants about breast cancer symptoms, prevention, and lifestyle risks, warning against excessive use of contraceptive pills. The outreach event, part of a broader nationwide campaign, aimed to reduce stigma and misinformation surrounding breast cancer in Ghana.