WOMEN SEEK EARLY MEDICAL CARE (PAGE 17)

Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi

The President of Breast Care International (BCI), Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai, has advised women to be conscious of their health by reporting any form of abnormality in any part of their body, especially their breast to medical officers for prompt diagnosis to be made.
This, she said, would reduce any risk of cancerous diseases in their breast to promote healthy lives.
She said it was equally important for women, especially those above the age of 40 not only to undertake mammogram but also examine their breast monthly to enable them to detect any form of abnormality at the early stages for prompt medication to be made.
Dr Mrs Wiafe Addai gave the advice at Bomfa-Achiase in the Ashanti Region as part of her breast cancer awareness campaign.
The exercise — which was organised by BCI, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in collaboration with a Kumasi-based philanthropist, Mr Kofi Nti, and Peace and Love Hospital also in Kumasi — was meant to provide them with the requisite skills of detecting any form of abnormality in their breast at the early stages and report to the hospital, thereby saving them the risk of losing their lives or the cost of treating the disease when it had reached an advanced stage.
It was also meant to sensitise women in the Ashanti Region in particular and other parts of the country in general to the dangers associated with breast cancer and the need for them to appreciate the importance of examining their breast monthly.
About 800 women, including those in their middle ages and those in their teens, benefited from the exercise.
Dr Mrs Wiafe Addai, who educated them on the causes and effect of breast cancer, expressed concern about the myth surrounding the disease and pointed out that some people connected it to curses and other forms of superstition.
She stressed that “the discovery of a suspicious lump in the breast is a traumatic experience among women, most of whom equate it to a death warrant” and pointed out that nine out of every 10 of such cases were not cancerous, but in any case, many cancers, including breast cancer, were treatable, especially when it was diagnosed early.
She said for women to notice any form of abnormality in their breast at the early stages “it is mandatory for every woman to examine her breast on monthly basis”.
She also took them through the dangers associated with Hepatitis B and the need for them to get tested and vaccinated, especially those who tested negative.
Explaining, she said Hepatitis B was more infectious than the dreaded HIV/AIDS, so in order to prevent its spread, there was the need for Ghanaians, irrespective of age, status and gender, to undertake voluntary testing and either be vaccinated against the disease when tested negative or seek immediate medical treatment when tested positive.
Explaining further, Dr Mrs Wiafe Addai said “infection with the Hepatitis B virus lead to cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and liver cancer”.
She said about 80 per cent of liver cancer was caused by chronic Hepatitis B virus infection and indicated that the most important means to reduce its spread was voluntary testing and vaccination.
She said unlike HIV/AIDS infection, the Hepatitis B virus could be treated, especially if the disease was reported and said it could be prevented when those who tested negative were vaccinated against the disease.