Founder of Breast Care International (BCI) and CEO of Peace and Love Hospitals, Dr Mrs. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, is calling for an urgent ban on shisha smoking in Ghana, citing the alarming health risks it poses to young citizens.

She highlighted that shisha is a significant contributor to the increasing breast cancer cases among women between the ages of 28 and 40.

She revealed that Ghana records around 5,000 breast cancer diagnoses, with approximately 2,360 women losing their lives to the disease annually.

Dr Beatrice Wiafe shared the information during a breast cancer awareness session and clinical screening event for members of the Methodist Church Ghana at Ejura in the Ashanti Region.

The event was part of Breast Care International's ongoing outreach initiative, focused on raising awareness about the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, the importance of early detection, and providing free clinical breast examinations to community members.

She expressed concern about young women getting into shisha smoking, noting that in the old days, it was mostly men who smoked, but now women are also picking up the habit.

She pointed out that women who smoke shisha are not only at risk of breast cancer, but also more prone to contracting other non-communicable diseases.

As Chairperson of the Ghana Non-communicable Disease Alliance (GhNCDA), she stressed that the government should prioritise this issue to curb the growing health threat.

"If the youth are our future and young women are getting into shisha, which research shows one puff of shisha is equivalent to smoking 10 sticks of cigarettes, and authorities aren't taking action, it means we're basically setting them up to fail," said Dr Wiafe Addai.

"As the chairperson of the Non-communicable Diseases Alliance, we're pleading with the government to ban shisha, just like Uganda has done".

Dr Beatrice Wiafe emphasised that certain lifestyle choices, such as skin bleaching, regularly eating fast food, and consuming alcoholic beverages - especially bitters, can increase a person's risk of developing breast cancer.

She also noted that breast cancer is not exclusive to women, as men can also be affected, and urged men who smoke cigarettes to be cautious.

She also emphasised the need for the government to equip all regional hospitals with mammography machines to boost breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

According to her, Ghana has limited access, with these machines only available in the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions.

This gap means many Ghanaians, especially those outside Ashanti and Greater Accra, are missing out on crucial breast cancer screenings and care.

As a result, diagnoses are often delayed, and treatment options are limited, contributing to the country's high breast cancer mortality rate.

Beneficiaries of breast cancer screening programs are excited about Breast Care International's outreach efforts.

They credit these initiatives with saving lives through early detection, reducing treatment severity, and boosting survival rates.