The month of October every year is ceded as a breast cancer awareness month.
The focus is to create awareness, intensify efforts to help sensitize and educate people on the disease and menace associated with it.
Over the years the disease and the stigma associated with it caused many victims to die without reporting g or seeking medical attention, this made the disease, deadly.
Early detection in recent years however have proven to help save lives.
As part of efforts to create awareness among the members of the community, the Mandari District, in the Sawla Area of the Church, in collaboration with the Mandari Health Center on Monday, October 28, 2024, organized an awareness and screening exercise for 120 women within Mandari and the surrounding communities.
Participants were educated on the causes, effects, the predisposing factors, and how to personally examine oneself for symptoms of the disease which poses a serious threat to life if not detected early.
Delivering the welcome address at the event which was held at the Mandari Central Assembly, the District Pastor for Mandari, Ps. Jones Dwomoh Amankwah, noted that, the screening and awareness creation forms part of the church’s social responsibility towards its members and the community.
He further stressed that the focus of the church is to deliver holistic gospel to its members, which includes caring for the Physical, Social, Psychological, Emotional, and Spiritual needs of both members and non members in the communities where they operate.
This year’s health screening forms part of the annual screening exercises the district performs for its members.
Last year for instance, 85 members were registered unto the national health insurance scheme, with 195 members being screened for various ailments.
The exercise this year, was spearheaded by the Child and Youth Development Center of the district.
A total of 120 women from across the district got sensitized and screened for the disease, whiles many other were examined for general health concerns.
Breast cancer continues to be a deadly disease in Ghana and around the World.
In 2019, the disease claimed 2,900 lives according to the Ghana Health Service.
Similarly, over 4000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually, with 50% of the said number loosing their lives.
Early detection the say saves lives, hence the need for the awareness creation and the screening.
According to the officer in charge of the Mandari Health Center, Mr Yandam Azuma, (PA), the disease is prevalent in Ghana with women standing a higher risk than men, though men do have predisposing factors as well.
The Project Director for the Church of Pentecost Child and Youth Development Center in Mandari, Mr Micheal Jaquah thanked the participants and the care givers for their patronage and high turn out.
In attendance at the event were staff and head of the Mandari Health Center, Child Development Workers of the Center, Members of the district, members of the community, and other interest groups.
The participants who could not hide their joy, thanked the leadership of the church for the kind gesture.
With the education received, the participant resolved to undertake personal examinations and lso teach others to help educate more people for early detection in other to save lives.
Source: yagbonradioonline
