Women have been urged to undergo routine breast cancer screening, with the head of administration at Nima Polyclinic, Gertrude Aba Awuku Bekoe, warning that early detection can significantly improve the chances of survival.
She was speaking on Tuesday when ASA Savings and Loans partnered with Nima Polyclinic to screen women for breast cancer.
“As long as you have a pair of breasts, you are susceptible to breast cancer. Breast cancer does not mean that is the end of the road for you; if you detect it early, there is a lot of hope for you, and so we are advocating for early screening, early detection,” she said.
“Nobody should die of breast cancer as long as you detect it early.”
Breast Cancer Awareness Month has been observed in October since the eighties. It is also known as “Pink October”, when people around the world use the colour pink and display pink ribbons to highlight the importance of prevention and routine screening.
Eunice Boadu, head of human resources at ASA Savings and Loans and a breast cancer survivor, said the screening process was painless and encouraged women to be examined.
“I had breast cancer in 2023, I have gone through surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and I am still standing; it doesn’t kill anyone,” she said.
“Early detection is good; that is why we are screening and making the noise that people should just check, go to the hospital and let them tell you, you are fine. Ghana needs you alive.”
Gwen Tinotenda Muteiwa, chief executive of ASA Savings and Loans, called on women working in corporate organisations to make time for annual breast cancer checks despite their professional responsibilities.
“It is important to look out for yourselves; a lot of the time we are looking out for the company, after these corporates, but we can’t do so in bad health, so it is important for corporate women to get tested annually for breast cancer,” she said.
“It is one of those cancers that doesn’t have to kill you if you detect it early, before it spreads, so it is important that corporate women look out for themselves; the stronger they are, the stronger they can look out for the corporate needs.”
