12th edition of ‘BCI Ghana Walk for the Cure’ launched in Kumasi

The 12th edition of the ‘BCI Ghana Walk for the Cure’ has been officially launched in Kumasi by Breast Care International (BCI), the event's organizer.

This year’s walk is scheduled for Saturday, October 12, 2024, in Ejisu, within the Ejisu municipality of the Ashanti Region.

The annual event aims to dispel common misconceptions and myths surrounding breast cancer while raising awareness about the disease. The theme for the 2024 edition is “TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THE NARRATIVE ABOUT CANCERS IN AFRICA.”

Dr. Mrs. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, a renowned breast cancer surgeon and the lead advocate in the fight against breast cancer, is the driving force behind this year's event. The BCI Ghana Walk for the Cure is widely regarded as the largest and most successful breast cancer awareness campaign in the country. The organizers expect a turnout of around 20,000 participants, including individuals from various walks of life, such as politicians, religious leaders, farmers, students, teachers, traditional authorities, and members of civil society organizations.

Explaining the decision to host the walk in Ejisu, Dr. Wiafe Addai drew inspiration from the leadership of the Ejisumanhene, Oguakro Afranie Okese II, and Ejisumanhemaa, Nana Yaa Asantewaa II. “These two prominent individuals will rally women across the country to fight a new battle—not with guns, but through advocacy, public education, nationwide free screenings, seminars, and workshops to raise awareness about breast cancer,” she noted.

Rise in Breast Cancer Deaths
Dr. Wiafe Addai, who also serves as the CEO of Peace and Love Hospitals, voiced concern over the increasing number of breast cancer-related deaths in Ghana. "Before 2020, the country recorded 1,800 deaths out of 4,000 cases annually. However, since 2020, the figure has risen to 2,396 deaths out of 5,000 cases each year,” she stated.

She emphasized the urgency of public education, warning that the country risks losing more lives to breast cancer if the issue is not treated with the seriousness it deserves. “We cannot remain in denial as our women perish, even though a cure exists. Public education is essential in combating this disease,” she stressed.

Dr. Wiafe Addai also called for breast cancer to be treated as a national issue, akin to how Ghana addressed the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than leaving the fight to a few organizations like BCI with limited resources.

Concluding her address, Dr. Wiafe Addai encouraged women across the country to participate in the walk and learn more about breast cancer, which remains a significant health threat. “Breast cancer is both curable and preventable when we engage in regular medical screenings to know our status,” she added.

Background on the BCI Ghana Walk for the Cure

The inaugural BCI Ghana Walk for the Cure took place in Kumasi in 2011, with the event repeating in Kumasi the following year. In 2013, it was held in Accra, followed by Sunyani in 2014, Takoradi in 2015, and a return to Kumasi in 2016. Subsequent editions took place in Koforidua (2017) and Tamale (2018). In 2019, Cape Coast hosted the event before it was paused in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the two-year break, Accra hosted the 11th edition in 2023. This year, the event returns to the Ashanti Region, in Ejisu.