Breast Society of Ghana campaigns against stigma, champions early detection

In a significant display to raise breast cancer awareness, the Breast Society of Ghana, in partnership with various corporate institutions and security agencies, held a historic walk through the street of central Accra to emphasise the importance of early detection, proper treatment, and the stigmatisation of breast cancer, which remains the leading cancer among women in Ghana and globally.

Last Saturday, hundreds of participants, including the staff of the Bank of Ghana, Women in Parliament, Women in Mining, NHIS, and other institutions, marched to spread the message of breast health.

Some of the participants carried placards with messages such as “Breast cancer is not a Death sentence”, “Resilience is key to fighting breast cancer”, Early “Detection is key” and “Deodorants do not cause cancer”, among others.

The participants engaged people to educate them on breast cancer and called on them to get their breasts examined, both males and females at the Independence Square that day, which was for free.

The walk

The walk, which lasted about three hours, started at the Independence Square in Accra at 7:30 a.m., with participants marching through some principal streets of the capital, through the Makola Market, and ending at the Independence Square, where the free screening took place.

The exercise focused on destigmatising breast cancer, calling for increased support and understanding for those diagnosed with the disease.

A breast cancer surgeon at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Josephine Insaful, who is the current President of the Breast Society of Ghana, noted in an interview that, “we have a lot of survivors in the community.

“We have to encourage them to share their stories. Breast cancer is not contagious, and as a society, we need to support survivors with compassion,” she said.

For her part, the Coordinating Director for the Department of Public Engagement in Parliament, Kate Addo, expressed Parliament’s commitment to championing women’s health issues, emphasising that breast cancer was not just a women’s issue but a national concern, stressing that early detection was essential for both men and women.

She also highlighted the institution’s active role in promoting health checks and raising awareness beyond Breast Cancer Awareness Month, stating, “Parliament is very keen on this.

Our Speaker has been described as a he for she.

“Our clerk has been very active in this particular work. And that's why we are here in our numbers to help with the work to ensure that we create awareness. And the message is not going to stop when October ends,” Ms Addo stated.