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Don’t stigmatise breast cancer patient
Dr Rita Appiah Danquah, a Clinical Psychologist at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, says society must not define breast cancer patients by their diagnosis but to recognise them as individuals with dignity, personal choices, hopes and aspirations.
She said breast cancer affected patients’ health, with emotional and social consequences for their confidence, relationships, employment and family life.
Dr Appiah Danquah made the call at a breast cancer awareness forum organised by Medifem Multi-Specialist Hospital and Fertility Centre in partnership with the Dzidula Pink Foundation and the Ghana Aviation Ladies Association.
The forum was held last Thursday in Accra at the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) auditorium.
It was attended by survivors, healthcare professionals and staff of the authority under the theme: ‘real stories. Expert insights. Greater hope.’
It provided a platform for the survivors to share experiences, healthcare professionals to offer insights and stakeholders to discuss ways to strengthen breast cancer awareness.
Dr Appiah Danquah explained that the breast was closely associated with femininity, body image, identity and sexuality, making it diagnosis difficult for some women.
She also elaborated that patients undergoing mastectomy, chemotherapy and other treatments could experience changes in their appearance, fatigue and side effects that affected their confidence and that a diagnosis could trigger fear, anxiety and anger, while survivors might continue to worry about follow-up examinations and the possibility of the disease returning.
She urged families and communities to listen without judgement, respect patients’ choices and ask what support they needed.
She also called for an end to stigma and discrimination, stressing the importance of protecting patients’ privacy.
Beyond emotional support, she emphasised, patients needed practical assistance, including transport to hospitals, financial help, childcare and support with household responsibilities.
Also speaking at the forum, Clinical Oncologist at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Judith Tackie, underscored the importance of early detection and timely treatment.
She cited figures indicating that Ghana recorded 5,485 new breast cancer cases and 2,695 deaths.
Dr Tackie said warning signs included breast lumps, changes in breast size or shape, skin dimpling, unusual nipple discharge and lumps in the armpit.
She cautioned that a painless lump could still be cancerous and urged women to seek medical attention after noticing changes.
Furthermore, she explained that diagnosis could involve clinical examinations, mammograms, ultrasound scans and biopsies. Treatment depended on the type, grade and stage of the cancer and could include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
Dr Tackie identified increasing age, family history and inherited genetic mutations as risk factors. Other factors included alcohol consumption, smoking, physical inactivity and excess body weight.
She encouraged women to be familiar with their breasts, undergo appropriate screening and follow medical advice.
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Medifem Multi-Specialist Hospital and Fertility Centre, Dr Richard Banful, reaffirmed his outfit’s dedication to standing with survivors and advancing breast cancer education, early detection, and survivorship.
The hospital presented a cheque for GH₵10,000 to the Dzidula Pink Foundation to support its breast cancer awareness campaign.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu & Adizatu K. Munkaila
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Five Catholic priests in the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua have jointly invested GH¢1.6 million from their personal resources to construct a church to serve four communities in the New Juaben South Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The 300-capacity church, located at Trom and named St. John Vianney Catholic Church, is expected to bring worship closer to residents of Trom, Bornya, Korle and Abansro.
The Vicar General of the Diocese, Monsignor Francis Twum-Barimah, will oversee the new church and provide pastoral services.
The Catholic Bishop of Koforidua, Most Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, who led the dedication of the church at Trom, described the initiative as exceptional, saying he had not witnessed a similar undertaking in his more than 40 years in the priesthood.
He commended the five priests for conceiving the idea and completing the project within eight months.
“I want to thank God for the thoughtfulness of some of my priests, who conceived this idea and presented it to me towards the end of last year. Thank you for this parish and for completing it in eight months,” he said.
Bishop Afrifah-Agyekum said the project demonstrated that infrastructure could be delivered at a lower cost through efficient management of resources and urged the government and other institutions to learn from the initiative.
“This country can still build cheaper, but it is often something that eludes all of us, and so the construction of projects becomes so expensive,” he added.
He said the Church needed to expand its presence in rapidly developing communities to prevent distance from becoming a barrier to regular worship.
“We cannot continue to remain where we are; we must grow with communities. We have to begin to plan, strategise and expand. There are some Catholics who, because of distance, have fallen; they are not going to church and not practising. You are the ones I am looking for, which is the reason why this community exists,” he said.
The convenor of the five priests, Very Rev. Fr. Ebenezer Kenneth Abban, who is also President of the Koforidua Diocesan Priests Association (KODPA), Director of the Diocesan Health Services and Hospital Manager of St. Dominic Catholic Hospital, Akwatia, acknowledged the collective sacrifice that made the project possible.
He, however, singled out Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Quainoo Aggrey for his initiative and commitment.
“Although five of us contributed in our own strength to build this church, special mention should be made of the initiator, Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Quainoo Aggrey. We could not believe what we saw; in our minds, this was to travel beyond this year,” he said.
He said the church would serve as a sacred place for the celebration of the Eucharist, the administration of the sacraments and the spiritual development of the wider community.
“We wish to put on record that what we have done is out of love for God and His Church. It is an act of faith rendered through the sacrifice of personal earnings,” he added.
The other priests who contributed to the project are Rev. Fr. Michael Numekevor Jnr., Esq., Diocesan Civil Lawyer and priest in charge of lands and estates; Rev. Fr. Eric Evans Akahono, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Akyem Oda; and Rev. Fr. Derrick Eyram Senanu, Parish Priest of St. Peter Catholic Church, Somanya.
The project brings to 54 the number of parishes and quasi-parishes in the Catholic Diocese of Koforidua, he said.
The assigned catechist, Mrs Rose A. Dadjawah, a resident of Trom, said the new church would provide a more suitable environment for worship and encourage more Catholics to participate in church activities.
She said Catholics in the Trom enclave had worshipped in a private residence for about 14 years while waiting for a permanent place of worship. She expressed the hope that the new facility would encourage those who had stopped attending church to return.
A resident, Francisca Ayitey, recalled the difficulties she encountered travelling from Trom to St. Dominic Catholic Church, particularly when she was pregnant.
“Praise be to God, I used to go for Mass at St. Dominic from Trom even when I was pregnant. Getting taxis on Sundays was not easy,” she said.
The elderly and other residents who had gradually withdrawn from church activities because of the distance are also expected to benefit from the new facility.
Previously, Catholic faithful in the four communities had to travel more than three miles to attend Mass at St. Dominic Catholic Church, Adweso, St. George Cathedral or St. Bakhita Catholic Church at Old Estates, with transportation difficulties, particularly on Sundays, discouraging some from attending services.
By Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
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By Eugene Ampiaw
The Assemblies of God (A/G), Ghana, has celebrated the decades of dedicated Christian ministry and community service of the retiring Head Pastor of Revival Restoration Centre Assemblies of God at Roman Ridge, Accra, Apostle Alex Kwaku Nkrumah, and his wife, Rev. Mrs Elizabeth Nkrumah.
The couple were honoured at a retirement service in Accra last Saturday in recognition of their contributions to church growth, missions, community development and the training of church leaders.
The ceremony, held under the theme: ‘KAVOD: A Steward’s Honour,’ was attended by the clergy, church members and other dignitaries to celebrate the couple’s years of service and lasting contribution to the church and society.
The General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Ghana, Rev. Stephen Wengham, who chaired the occasion, commended Apostle Nkrumah for demonstrating that effective Christian leadership was measured by the impact made on people’s lives rather than the position one occupied.
Rev. Wengham said Apostle Nkrumah’s achievements showed that ministers serving at the local church level could make significant contributions to the growth of the church without necessarily occupying the highest ecclesiastical offices.
“Leadership is not position. Leadership is the ability to make an impact and influence your immediate environment,” he said
Citing Apostle Nkrumah’s church-planting efforts as an example, Rev. Wengham disclosed that the retiring pastor had established 41 churches.
Apostle Nkrumah, who said he received his calling into ministry in 1982, founded Revival Restoration Centre in 1990.
His ministry has also reached 217 communities, organised 20 years of free medical outreaches and raised more than 35 frontline pastors.
In his retirement message, Apostle Nkrumah urged young ministers to remain faithful to the word of God and make service to humanity central to their calling.
He cautioned ministers against using scripture to justify personal opinions, saying their conduct and relationships with others must reflect the teachings they preached.
The Newtown District Pastor of the Assemblies of God, Rev. Eugene Anim, also paid tribute to the couple for their commitment to church planting, missions, prayer and the training of church workers.
