ICU women sensitised to breast cancer

Female employees of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) have been sensitised as part of activities marking Pink Month.

The sensitisation, held last Saturday, saw the women members of the ICU undergoing screening for the disease.

The event, which was attended by female employees of the union from across the regions, is the first to be organised by the Gender Desk of the ICU.

Last weekend's event was held with the support of the Hill View Guest Centre at Teiman-Abokobi in the Ga East Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.

Cases

In his keynote address, the General Secretary of the ICU, Morgan Ayawine, said breast cancer was the most common cancer diagnosed in women, accounting for more than one in 10 new cases annually.

Moreover, he said it was one of the most common causes of cancer deaths among women worldwide.

"It is common knowledge that breast cancer is a fatal disease which, if not detected early and effectively treated, results in high mortality among our beloved mothers, wives and daughters," he said.

 The initiative, he said, was to increase awareness and reduce the stigma linked to the symptoms and treatment of breast cancer," he said.

Education

Mr Ayawine, whose address was read by Maku Vondee, the Chief Industrial Relations Officer of ICU, said through the provision of education about the characteristics of breast cancer, "we believe that more people can become informed about this disease, leading to improved treatment outcomes due to early detection"

A women's health specialist at the Shai-Osudoku District Hospital, Ruth Katamanso, said annually, about 4,000 people are diagnosed and half of them die of the disease.

The cause of the death, she said, was because people did not report to health facilities on time.

"So, I want to tell the general public that cancer is curable, breast cancer is curable. But we have to be able to detect it early so we can treat it," she said.

Aside from self-breast examination every month, she encouraged the women to also seek the services of professionals for further checks, as part of the preventive measures. 

Attention

"No matter your busy schedule, when you don't pay attention to your health, it will prevent you from working. So your health should be a priority," she said.

The Head of the Gender Desk of the ICU, Esinam Poku, said the sensitisation to mark Pink Month (Breast Cancer Month) was the first to be organised by her outfit.

The move, she said, was to create more awareness among female employees of the ICU.

The General Manager of the Hill View Guest Centre, Erica Alliah, said breast cancer affected thousands of women around the world every year, and raising awareness was a critical step in the fight against this disease.

By collaborating with the ICU, "we are not just providing education but empowering each one of us to take charge of our health and well-being. Knowledge is power, and today, we are equipping ourselves with the tools necessary to protect and support each other."