President of Breast Care International (BCI) is appealing to government to include cancer patients on the Livelihood Empowerment Programme against Poverty (LEAP) programme.

Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai said this is to enable them to support their families while undergoing treatment.

She made the appeal when the Newmont Women and Allies Network has presented a cheque of GHC45,742 to Breast Care International, an NGO which specializes in the provision of breast health education, screening, counselling, advocacy, research, and treatment support.

The cash donation is to boost BCI’s countrywide outreach programs aimed at educating and creating awareness about breast cancer through free breast screening.

The gesture, Chair of the Accra Chapter of Women and Allies Network, Neringa Berzinskaite as part of their corporate social responsibility.

She indicated that, as an all-female group that focuses on promoting gender parity and the cause of women working in the Newmont Gold mining sites and other mining communities they thought it wise to support the cancer NGO.

Women and Allies Network chair expressed worry at the staggering statistics of women who have lost their lives due to lack of awareness about the disease.

“Looking at the statistics of women getting diagnosed in late stages due to lack of awareness and education, we thought that we could make a positive impact by saving lives. This can significantly reduce the number of affected women who are isolated and left to die,” she said.

Neringa Berzinskaite admonished women to regularly inspect their breasts and seek early treatment should they detect signs of the disease.

Receiving the donation, Dr. Wiafe Addai commended the group for the donation towards breast cancer awareness and prevention.

She said the amount would bolster the campaign and was highly appreciative of Newmont because the humanitarian gesture was both at the instance, and on the volition of the Multinational company.

She revealed that there is currently no known cure for breast cancer but its early diagnosis is critical to survival.

Dr. Wiafe Addai urged other corporate bodies to emulate Newmont example and donate towards a worthy cause.

MTN/ THE ARKO FOUNDATION

Elsewhere in the Ashanti region, a delegation of  Telecom giant MTN, led by the Manager of the Northern sector, Mrs. Afrakoma Baah Obeng has paid a courtesy call on Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai at the Head office of BCI in Kumasi to familiarize themselves with operations of the facility and to explore ways of corporation between the two.

The BCI team, led by Dr. Wiafe, walked them through the various stages of breast cancer treatment and reiterated the urgent need to intensify the public education drive in a bid to reduce the incidence of the disease while fighting off ignorance and stigmatization .

She charged corporate Ghana to assist BCI in whatever way possible to intensify the awareness creation exercise as poverty and ignorance combine to claim lives of some afflicted women.

A co-sponsored free breast screening program by BCI and the “Arkoh foundation” (an offshoot of BCI) , at the Africa Hall of The  Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, followed the visit, and was at the instance of the Ladies Wing of the Harvest Chapel International, where Mrs. Baah Obeng, doubles as the leader.

Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai noted that the “primary consideration is to connect with schools and communities across the country for breast abnormalities”

The BCI outreach team encouraged the student population and the faithful to periodically examine their own breasts and report any abnormality to health facilitIes for further examination.

Dr. Wiafe charged them to be ambassadors of the breast cancer public education program and help spread the news that breast cancer is both treatable and survivable if detected early.

 ABURI SCREENING

And in the Eastern region, a well-attended free breast screening in the tourist town of Aburi climaxed the week of free breast screening programs by BCI.

The community was screened for diabetes among other non- communicable diseases which research has established as silent killers.

A public education at the Wesley Methodist church by Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai preceded the free breast screening.