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On the 16th of May 2015, Breast Care International (BCI) in conjunction with Peace and Love Hospitals (PLHs) conducted a free breast cancer education program and clinical screening at New Timers Hotel in Kasoa, Central Region.

The program, led by the President of Breast Care International and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Peace and Love Hospitals, Dr. (Mrs.) Beatrice Wiafe Addai was initiated by the leader of Care Right Foundation, Mr. Emmanuel Agor. The program was attended by Honourable Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mr. John Alexander Ackon, MCE for Kasoa Municipal Assembly and other officials.

As BCI is a leading organization in the field of breast cancer advocacy and awareness in Ghana, the program was organized with the intention of disseminating accurate and effective information about breast diseases such as breast cancer and screening for abnormalities that may indicate the presence of the disease. Currently, breast cancer in Ghana is the leading cause of deaths amongst women, accounting for the majority of hospital admissions across the country. It is for these reasons that both BCI and PLH connect with schools and communities across the country to educate and screen women for breast abnormalities.

The morning began with the educational component of the day, which included a lecture from Dr. Wiafe Addai on the signs, symptoms, risk factors, methods of investigation and finally, the available treatment options. Those in attendance were shown how to properly perform Breast Self-Examination’s (BSE) with the help of 200 donated Breast Sense Kits worth 20GHC each. The importance of self-examination, Dr. Wiafe Addai stressed, is that it facilitates early detection. As breast cancer’s ability to be treated and ultimately cured, is completely dependent on the time, a delay in diagnosis and subsequent treatment can have catastrophic results for a woman and her family.

Following this, the Honourable Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, spoke about the importance of the breast screening exercise for every woman in the country. In particular he emphasised the fact that all those in attendance have family members who are women, so the need to acquire accurate information about breast health is key to fighting breast diseases such as cancer. He went on to praise BCI for the work that they do for the nation.

All the participants were clinically screened for any breast related health problem, particularly breast cancer. Some suspected cases were referred for further investigations.