IMaH/GNA embarks on breast cancer awareness campaign in Tema

The 2023 Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign has been launched by the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) in partnership with the Ghana News Agency, Tema Regional Office, in an effort to rekindle public interest in the issues, broaden public understanding of them, and dispel myths about them.

As part of the campaign, each week, medical experts from IMaH will speak about breast cancer on the "Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility" public health advocacy platform of the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office.

The effort aimed to promote health-related communication and create the environment for the spread of health information to impact individual health decisions by raising health literacy.

The global subject "Keeping Her in the Picture," which is an appeal to everyone to keep an eye on the well-being of the essential women in their lives, is the focus of the 2023 breast cancer awareness campaign.

When speaking on the health advocacy platform, Dr. Justice Baidoo, a Medical Officer at IMaH, pointed out that breast cancer, which is an abnormal growth of the breast cell, affects many women and is particularly prevalent in black women.

Although some men may be more susceptible to developing breast cancer, he added that while there are a number of potential causes of breast cancer, including genetics, birthing complications, advanced age, and pregnancy, there isn't one particular element that triggers the disease.

"There are numerous factors that increase one's risk of developing cancer; there is no one single factor that causes breast cancer," he stated.

According to Dr. Baidoo, oestrogen is a hormone that exists in the body and increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer when it is present in high or persistent amounts.

He explained that while some women may experience discharge from their nipples or breast lumps, not all of these symptoms are indicative of the development of cancer; rather, some of them may be the result of fibroids or fat buildup.

Nevertheless, it is crucial for these women to visit the hospital for early screening and checkups.

"Not all lumps or discharge in the breast are cancerous," he noted, "because some breast conditions can manifest as lumps inside the breast." Therefore, not all lumps indicate breast cancer.

In order to lower the likelihood that their children may acquire breast cancer, he emphasized the need for breastfeeding women to either exclusively nurse their children or wait until they are two years old before weaning them off breast milk.

It is therefore better to be safe than sorry, so he urged everyone, especially ladies, to take advantage of the celebration and get their breasts checked in order to avoid any additional consequences.

Mr. Francis Ameyibor, Regional Manager of Ghana News Agency in Tema, asked journalists to increase public education on the issues: "Let's use the power of the media to educate in order to save lives."

GNA and IMaH joined the rest of the world in commemorating October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a yearly campaign to promote awareness of the disease and encourage people to seek medical attention.

-CDA Consult || Contributor