The Duayaw-Nkwanta St. John of God Catholic Hospital in the Ahafo Region of Ghana has reported 17 cases of breast cancer in 2022, according to Ms. Abena Konadu Gyimah, a Public Health Nurse at the hospital.
All patients exhibiting abnormalities suspected to be breast cancer were promptly referred to Komfo Anokye and Korle-Bu Teaching Hospitals for further medical examination.
The announcement was made during a breast cancer screening exercise in Koforidua, near Duayaw-Nkwanta.
The event was organized by the women's wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Tano North constituency.
The screening initiative was sponsored by Dr. Freda Prempeh, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North and the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources. Over 150 women, who are polling station executives of the NPP in the constituency, benefited from the program.
Ms. Gyimah, the Public Health Nurse, expressed concern about the lack of modern diagnostic machines like mammograms, which are crucial for detecting early signs and symptoms of breast cancer. She emphasized that this limitation hinders efforts to combat the disease.
She pointed out that Ghana had a high number of breast cancer cases and called for the development of a national policy guideline to address the problem.
In 2020, Ghana recorded over 4,000 cases of breast cancer, with approximately half of the affected women succumbing to the disease.
Ms. Gyimah called upon the government to allocate funds for extensive nationwide public awareness campaigns and breast cancer screening initiatives.
Dr. Prempeh urged the Ghana Health Service to collaborate more closely with the media to intensify public education on breast cancer.
The goal is to empower women with knowledge about the importance of self-examination, early reporting of symptoms, and protective measures against the disease.