Breast Cancer Awareness: Naa OO Naa Foundation Advocates for Facilities at the Districts for Early Diagnosis.
As part of measures to raise awareness on breast cancer cases, promote its education, screening, early detection and honour survivors, Naa oo Naa Foundation, a non-governmental organisation has engaged key industry players in the health sector championing same course to call on the government and other charitable institutions to join hands to set up facilities within the various districts across the country for easy diagnosis and attention.
This call, comes on the heels of reports of affected persons travelling from distance communities and districts to the regional capitals for medical attention.
This year’s celebration for the breast cancer awareness is on the theme “Together We Rise” through which the education and awareness of breast cancer is endeavoured across the world.
Breast cancer awareness month is a global healthcare event for the awareness which is reminisced for the entire month of October every year for the past 37years.
Various organisation, both global and local come together during this month to promote awareness, campaigns and activities which recognise the necessity of the diagnosis of breast cancer, its treatment and preventive tips to avoid the ailment.
Speaking on the local theme “Breast Cancer Awareness: Risk Factors and Treatment Options” as adopted by the foundation, the Executive Director of the NGO, Ms. Racheal Aryee stressed on the need for everybody to join the campaign to fight the disease as it has the tendency to affect families and greater population of every country.
Contributing to the discussion during the symposium, the Co-CEO Optimal Health Consult who is also a staff at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Norris Edem Azumah bemoaned the high rate of affected persons showing up at the hospital at an advanced stage of the disease when possibly its effect has spread to other parts of the body.
Stressing on the delays, he attributed some of the delays to the unavailability of health facilities specifically for the treatment of breast cancer as the readily available Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) are not fit for such purpose.
Dr. Norris Edem Azumah who is also an online health coach that attends to patients at their convenience disclosed that, an institutional data on Five (5)-Year Survival Rate of Breast Cancer demonstrates that only 25% of patients in developing countries that report late for medical treatment can survive breast cancer. He added that, this is a poor situation in Ghana, unlike in other countries such as Japan and Korea, where due to availability of resources and early detection, the survival rate is as high as 80%.
Also via zoom for the discussion was a medical laboratory Scientist, Mr Kofi George Merkel Abuah who during his presentation educated on eating habits and symptoms of the disease. He advised against high intake of canned products near expiry, high protein and cholesterol intake. He specified that, these are risk factors of breast cancer. He also stressed on Indicating or Diagnostic Factors of Breast Cancer to include; reddening of the of the nipple, tenderness of the breast and abnormal discharges from the breast.
This year’s symposium is the second edition of the foundations engagement with key resource persons in the health care sector to press the need for early detection and to sensitize the public to embrace breast cancer survivors into their communities to foster unity and development. The foundation is of the firm belief that when issues of stigma is resolved, all affected persons with the disease will have the courage to share their worries should they detect changes in their breast for diagnosis without attributing it to spirituality.
The symposium was moderated by the Communications Director of the foundation, Ms. Catherine Antwi Boasiako.