In their effort to combat breast cancer, some health professionals want the government to provide a more comprehensive National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) package for the treatment of breast cancer in the country.

According to them, part of the treatment for the disease is covered by the NHIS but many patients are still unable to access additional services such as mammogram and ultra-sound screening which are quite expensive.

These were some of the remarks made when The Spectator Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign for the month of October was launched on October 6, 2022, at the Kaneshie Market Complex in Accra, where the traders were screened and sensitised to the disease.

Key among the messages was the need to seek early treatment for the disease which is preventable and curable. Instead of patients seeking unconventional treatment, health professionals insist that a medical facility should be the first port of call for any suspected case of breast cancer. 

Medical Officers at the Kaneshie Medical Centre where some women were screened free of charge, admitted that but for the exercise, a number of breast cancer cases and other health-related issues would have gone unnoticed.

According to Dr. Obed Boamah about half of the 250 women who were screened had suspected cases of breast cancer.

He said the screening afforded the opportunity to determine those who needed urgent attention as some of the cases had been referred to the major hospitals while other patients had also been asked to return later to the Medical Centre for further examination based on their assessment.

Health professionals and the participants expressed satisfaction about the positive impact of the campaign but indicated that there was still more to be done to reduce of breast cancer in the country.

Some of them recommended a year-long campaign across all platforms and the use of varied communication strategies: use of local languages that would appeal to members of the public of diverse backgrounds.

Participants and partners have commended the New Times Corporation (NTC) for the initiative which is intended to yield positive results and help reduce the number of lives lost as result of the disease.

The Spectator Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign led by the NTC is in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), Kaneshie Medical Centre, Kaneshie Market Complex, Cheezzy Pizza, Labone Senior High School, Unichem Group Ghana, Kaneshie Polyclinic.

One of the key partners, the Kaneshie Medical Centre provided facilities and logistics for the breast cancer screening. In addition, the medical centre also conducted cervical cancer tests, blood pressure and sugar test.

The awareness campaign themed: “Life Before and after Breast Cancer: A Future of Positivity and Hope” is being organised by the Marketing Department of NTC.

By Portia-Hutton Mills