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The President of Breast Care International, and Chief Executive Officer of Peace and Love Hospitals, Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, has commended the media for helping disseminate information about the life-threatening disease, breast cancer. “The media, in retrospect, has proved a worthy partner, contributing immensely towards awareness creation, especially among our women with lower education levels”, she stressed.

“Though commendable, the enormity of the task ahead requires increased coverage and exposure; awareness creation about such an important disease as breast cancer, should be a dynamic process”, she charged.

630 students of the Trede Senior High School in the Atwima kwanwoma district of the Ashanti region have benefitted from a free breast screening program jointly organized and sponsored by Breast Care International, BCI, and DHL, global haulers.

The exercise is part of a national program by the two institutions to sensitize the youth about the disease in a bid to cause a significant reduction in the stage at which the country’s productive women workforce report to the hospital.

Dr.Beatrice Wiafe Addai, speaking at the day-long exercise said targeting the youth is integral in the over-all projection to reduce the late stage presentation of the disease to acceptable figures comparable to those in developed economies, but cautioned this requires hard work, dedication, and a committed youth desirous of behavioral change.

She was worried about the influence of western culture on the youth,  leading regrettably to some avoidable lifestyle diseases, and cautioned the students to be mindful of their eating habits, and to desist from smoking, excessive drinking and lack of exercises.

Touching on breast cancer, Dr. Beatrice Wiafe said cure, was dependent on early detection and promptly reporting same, to hospital for treatment, and commended the media for highlighting the disease, but challenged practitioners to do more, given the high level of ignorance especially at the countryside.

She encouraged the students to form “BREAST CLUBS” and sustain the breast cancer education among themselves, convinced that an educated youth, stood a better chance of helping reduce the canker in the foreseeable future.

“You are agents of change, indeed trainers of trainees, who must work tirelessly even at this stage, if we are to achieve our mission statement of a breast cancer free Ghana in the next three decades” she predicted.

The headmaster of the school, Kwabena Fosu Kesson, associated himself, and commended the medical team and DHL for the instructive education and screening program. The program was so interactive with several students asking very important questions, which were answered. The Breast Cancer Survivors in the team shared their stories to the admiration of all.