Women advised to prioritise their health to safeguard their lives, businesses

Women, particularly traders, have been advised to prioritise their health to ensure they are healthy to grow their businesses.

Also, regardless of their busy schedule, they should pay attention to their family and it was important for them to undergo regular screenings and self-examination of their breasts to maintain their health and also get the required help early.

The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dakoa Newman, who gave the advice, said despite the education and awareness being raised of breast cancer, many women were falling victims and experiencing severe consequences, including death.

“Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of death among women in our country. We cannot afford to lose more lives due to late detection.

“It is important for every woman to make breast screening part of their health routine,” she said.

Ms Newman was speaking at a breast cancer awareness and screening exercise organised by the ministry at the Kaneshie Market yesterday.

Screening

About 200 market women took part in the breast cancer screening and awareness programme as part of this year’s breast cancer awareness month.

The programme, which was held in collaboration with medical officers and nurses from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), educated the women on the dangers of breast cancer and the need for them to seek prompt and regular medical care.  

Beneficiaries who had certain abnormalities in their breasts, especially lumps, were referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital or a nearby health facility for further examination and treatment.

The participants were also taught how to do regular self breast examination (BSE) as an effective means of early detection of the disease.

Statistics

Ms Dakoa said breast cancer affected one in eight women globally and that women who had breast cancer in the country accounted for 31.9 per cent of all cancers diagnosed.

“Most cases of breast cancer in the country are detected at advanced stages due to a lack of awareness and limited access to healthcare services,” she added.

Ms Dakoa further encouraged the market women to take advantage of the free screening services, adding that early detection saved lives.

She said while significant progress had been made over the years to promote women’s health and encourage lifestyle changes for healthy living, many women continued to lose their lives due to late detection and misconceptions about the disease.

“We must continue to emphasise the importance of regular screening, self-examination and early diagnosis. Early detection remains one of the most effective tools in the fight against breast cancer”, she added.

Personal Hygiene

A Senior Nursing Officer at the Trauma Unit, KBTH, Victoria Offei, educated the women on how to practice personal hygiene , perform self-examination and offered consultations on health concerns beyond breast cancer.

She urged the women to be vigilant about changes in their breasts such as lumps or abnormal discharges.

She said  they should be their health advocates, adding that ,”Know your body and if something doesn’t feel right, seek medical attention immediately”.

Appreciation

A trader, who gave her name as Maame Esi, thanked the ministry for their time and support.

She said , “because of my business, I do not have time to go to the hospital but today, I’ve had a proper breast cancer screening”.

She encouraged other women to not to be afraid and to take steps safeguard their health.