UICC Applauds Breast Care International

The world’s biggest cancer organization, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) has applauded Breast Care International (BCI) for its immense contribution to the fight against cancer in Ghana and across the globe.

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of UICC, Dr. Julie Torode who paid an official visit to Peace and Love Hospital and BCI in Kumasi described the Ghana based cancer organization as having made giant strides over the years in its advocacy activities, screening exercises and providing treatments for cancer and other non communicable diseases.

Very emotional Torode could not hold back her tears while stories of some breast cancer survivors who had been treated at Peace and Hospitals were being shared with pictures and videos. She explained that she shared the pain, frustration and trauma the people had gone through before finally getting treatment.

The UICC Deputy Chief Executive Officer said the Union has been working at the global level, talking with the United Nations, World Health Organization and other global bodies to support its international commitments to fight non-communicable diseases and prosecute key steps for cancer control.

Dr. Julie Torode thinks there is so much the UICC can do in Ghana but political hurdles have been impeding the progress of combating cancer in the country. She noted, however, that having a new president and minister of health in Ghana is a great opportunity for the UICC to start talking to work out what it can do to build on the good work on cancer, done in the country, to give more people the chance to access cancer care.

She charged government to make right decisions of funding plans and programmes on cancer, adding that UICC has been supporting the cancer registry in the Ghana and has promised the organization’s commitment to help fight the disease in the country.

At a ceremony to welcome the UICC’s Deputy CEO and another female staffer, of the organization, Laura, the Ashanti regional minister, Hon. Simon Osei Mensah commended the leadership of Breast Care International for championing the fight against breast cancer in Ghana and beyond.

Hon. Osei Mensah promised to partner BCI to push the good agenda of conducting breast cancer screening for senor high school girls in the region. The minister announced that he was going to make the screening of the girls an annual exercise during the cerebration of Ghana’s Independence Day.

On her part, the President of Breast Care International and Chief Executive Officer of Peace & Love Hospitals, Dr. (Mrs) Beatrice Wiafe Addai expressed much joy over the visit by the team from UICC headquarters in Geneva, explaining that to be selected among over 1,500 members worldwide for an official visit, is a great cause for joy.

Dr Wiafe Addai indicated that her organizations are bent on strengthening educating the citizenry on breast cancer and other non-communicable diseases, and the conducting of free screening for all.

She appealed to government to assist BCI in training more nurses in oncology to assist in the outreach advocacy and screening exercises in the schools and communities in order to be able to cover many of the populace and equip them with knowledge about breast cancer and the other non-communicable diseases.

Dr (Mrs) Beatrice Wiafe Addai has reiterated her call on the government to financially assist cancer patients with funds from the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme to encourage and enable them consistently seek and receive treatment.

She advised young women and girls not to consider themselves as not being susceptible to breast cancer, urging them to stick to regular check-ups as early detection is key in successful treatment.

The ceremony was graced by one of Ghana’s popular female actresses, Nana Ama McBrown.

About UICC
The organisation is dedicated to taking the lead in convening, capacity building and advocacy initiatives that unite the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity, and integrate cancer control into the world health and development agenda.

UICC uses key convening opportunities like the World Cancer Leaders' Summit, World Cancer Congress and World Cancer Day for continued focus on:

• Developing specific time-bound targets and indicators to measure the national implementation of policies and approaches to prevent and control cancer
• Raising the priority accorded to cancer in the global health and development agenda
• Promoting a global response to cancer

UICC and its multisectoral partners are committed to encouraging governments to look towards the implementation and scale-up of quality and sustainable programmes that address the global burden of cancer and other NCDs. UICC is also a founding member of the NCD Alliance, a global civil society network that now represents almost 2,000 organisations in 170 countries.

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