Dr Beatrice Wiafe-Addai
The President of Breast Care International (BCI), Dr Beatrice Wiafe- Addai, has disclosed that one woman dies every 69 seconds somewhere around the world from breast cancer.
According to her, global incidence and mortality of breast cancer is on the rise and Ghana is no exception as 2,260 Ghanaian women were diagnosed with the disease in 2012.
Dr Wiafe-Addai, who doubles as the Chair of the BCI's Ghana Walk For The Cure, added that breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide.
Statistics are that nearly 1.7million new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed with an estimated 522,000 deaths that occurred around the world in 2012.
'Although breast cancer is highly treatable, curable and survivable, if diagnosed early, 70 percent of Ghanaian women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are in the advanced stages of the disease,' she disclosed, adding that, 'explanations for the delayed presentation among women in Ghana include lack of breast cancer awareness and education.'
Dr Wiafe-Addai made those remarks recently in Sunyani during the media launch of the 2014 edition of the BCI Ghana Walk for The Cure event.
The annual walk which started in 2011 is the country's largest and most successful awareness creation event for breast cancer.
She mentioned that this year's event scheduled to take place in Sunyani on Saturday, October 25, is expected to host over 30,000 people from all walks of life.
It is under the theme: 'Let's Join In The Fight, We Are Stronger Together'.
The BCI President stated that the past three walks held in Kumasi in 2011 and 2012 attracted over 13,000 and 20,000 participants respectively, whereas the 2013 walk held in Accra attracted 30,000 participants.
'Our organisation thought it timely to start the walk series, as we believe that in our own inimitable and special Ghanaian way, we could contribute to raising awareness on this disease, which affects us all in varying degrees-women, men and children,' she stated.
FROM Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, Sunyani
Email: [email protected]
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