The District Chief Executive for Prestea-Huni Valley, Dr Isaac Dasmani, has charged men in the Municipality to be concerned about changes in the breasts of their women.

He said, men should encourage women to seek early medical care when they identify certain unusual changes on their breast, particularly at the nipples and skin, without delay.

Speaking at a medical outreach and breast cancer awareness programme organized by the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation at Damang in the Western Region, Dr Dasmani said, men need to encourage women to take the necessary steps to lower their risk of getting breast cancer by detecting it early, for effective treatment.

He added that the municipal assembly, as part of breast cancer awareness creation, has embarked on a house-to-house sensitization, and education of residents on the dangers of breast cancer.

Over 1,000 members from two host communities of Abosso Goldfields Limited were screened and provided medications free of charge.

The exercise was carried out by experienced doctors, nurses and other health practitioners from Gold Fields’ health service providers, the Apinto Government Hospital and health facilities within the company’s host communities.

Gold Fields Ghana Foundation in Damang with support from the Rotary Clubs invested about GH¢240,000 in the programme for the purchase of medicines and equipment.

The Prestea Huni-Valley Municipal Director of Health Services, Joseph Kwame Sampson, indicated that globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that about 2.26 million new cases of breast cancer and 685,000 deaths were recorded in the heat of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

A report by the Global Cancer Observatory also recorded that in Ghana, 4,482 representing 18.7 per cent of women, had breast cancer in the year 2020, he noted.

Mr. Sampson said though the figures were alarming, there was evidence that the disease was curable if detected early and appropriate treatment instituted.

He added that there is nothing like normal breast since female breast changes over certain conditions.

He indicated that the changes in breast conditions of a woman occur during puberty stage, menstruation, giving birth or when she is obese.

He, however, advised women to seek early medical care any time they identify certain unusual changes on the breast.

The General Manager of Abosso Goldfields Limited, Michiel Van der Merwe, explained the basic objectives of the health outreach programme was to improve and extend access to basic healthcare to all persons.

“At our last outreach programme held in Huni Valley, 22 per cent of the out-patients were diagnosed with malaria, 26 per cent with other conditions including headaches, coughs, chest and body pains. We are hopeful that, these statistics will improve positively."

He said, the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation has made enormous investments in the health sector amounting to over GH¢ 4.8 million.

Aside the free screening, some women diagnosed with the early signs would be referred to the nearest health facilities for treatment.