Breast Cancer: 10th edition of ‘Ghana Walk for the Cure’ launched

The 10th edition of the ‘BCI Ghana Walk for the Cure was on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, launched at Tepa in the Ahafo Ano North district in the Ashanti region under the theme “BREAST CANCER WON’T REST, WHY SHOULD WE?”

The annual global event is organized by Breast Care International (BCI), an NGO, to create awareness about breast cancer and to demystify the misconceptions and myths surrounding the disease.

It is considered Ghana’s largest and most successful awareness creation event for breast cancer.

The Walk which started in Kumasi in 2011 as ‘Susan G. Komen Ghana Race for the Cure’ is scheduled to be held on Saturday, October 1, 2022.

The event was chaired by the Omanhene of Tepa Traditional Council, Nana Adusei Atwenewaa Ampem I, and supported by the Queenmother of Tepa Traditional Council, Nana Agyeiwaa Paamu II.

Other dignitaries included the DCE for Ahafo Ano North District Assembly, Hon Martina Appiah Nyantakyi, National NADMO boss, Nana Agyemang Prempeh, the Clergy, and the community.

The walk is expected to draw together people from all walks of life, both local and international, and an estimated 10,000 people are billed to participate.

They will walk to increase awareness about breast cancer while celebrating breast cancer survivorship.

The President of Breast Care International (BCI), Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, in her address noted that breast cancer should be given the much-needed media attention after covid-19 and as the number one killer of women.

“If we do not shock the conscience of the public about this reality, we will wallow in self-deception and self-denial about this disturbing trend, as our women perish, even though cure exists,” she added.

“Breast cancer statistics would remain a scar on our conscience if we do not collectively fight the condition as a National disaster, and a developmental issue. It is not only a public health issue”. She declared.

Dr. Wiafe Addai, who is also the CEO of Peace and Love Hospitals stated “breasts cancer cases are more predominantly in rural areas where low education levels, poverty, and ignorance, combine to deepen wrongly-held notions about causes and treatment of the disease, hence the need for more education at these areas.”

The Queenmother of Tepa Traditional Council, Nana Agyeiwaa Paamu II, in her speech assured that she will use her position to champion the education of breast cancer in the area to improve the health beings of women.

“I will encourage all women to join the walk as we seek to bring more education on breast cancer which is killing women. The disease is curable and preventable only when we resort to frequent medical screening to know our status,” she added.

The DCE for Ahafo Ano North District Assembly, Hon Martina Appiah Nyantakyi, thanked the BCI Team led by Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai to create awareness of breast cancer in the district and believed that it will go a long way to helping women know their breast cancer statuses.

She used the opportunity to advise women not to resort to traditional medicine or self-medication in treating breast cancer, but rather to seek medical advice from health experts before it gets out of hand.

Background

The maiden edition of the BCI Ghana race for the cure took place in Kumasi in 2011, repeating itself the following year in Garden city before hitting the streets of Accra in 2013. In 2014, it was moved to Sunyani, bounced off to Takoradi in 2015, and in 2016, bounced back to Kumasi, 2017 in Koforidua, 2018 in Tamale and 2019 in to Cape Coast.