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Emotional wounds from stigma, discrimination painful than cancer — Mrs Kumah-Dzagah
The Executive Secretary of the Breast Cancer Society of Ghana (BCSG), Mrs Georgina Kumah-Dzagah, has revealed that the emotional wounds caused by stigma and discrimination are often more painful than the physical suffering of the cancer disease itself.
In an interview with The Spectator in Accra, Mrs Kumah-Dzagah said that while the surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy were challenging, the reactions of people around her left deeper scars on her heart than the illness did on her body.
“For many survivors like me, the deepest wound does not come from the cancer itself, it comes from how people respond — the silence from people I once called family, the friends who drifted away as if cancer was contagious, and the stares at social gatherings — those were far more painful,” she said.
According to her, stigma and misconceptions about breast cancer leave many survivors feeling isolated and unloved at a time when they need the most care and encouragement.
“Stigma is cruel because it isolates survivors when we need love the most. It takes away hope, dignity, and the strength we fight so hard to hold on to,” she added.
Mrs Kumah-Dzagah urged the public to understand that breast cancer was not a death sentence and certainly not contagious, stressing that patients and survivors deserve empathy, not avoidance.
Survivors, she said, need encouragement, not judgment, and that they need people to remind them that they are still whole, valuable, and capable of living fully.
She also encouraged survivors to be proud of their scars, describing them as symbols of courage and endurance, saying every scar is proof of survival, not a mark of shame.
Mrs Kumah-Dzagah called on families, friends, and the wider public to offer emotional support to breast cancer survivors, noting that even small gestures of kindness can help restore confidence and hope.
She urged stakeholders to fight not only the disease but also the stigma surrounding it.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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Medical Doctor and dietician, Dr Bernice Korkor Asare, has urged women to take greater responsibility for their lifestyle choices, particularly their eating habits and levels of physical activity, to help reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
According to her, although, some breast cancer risk factors, such as family history and certain reproductive factors, may not be within an individual’s control, lifestyle choices offer an opportunity for people to take preventive action.
She made this known during a talk on the topic: “Role of diet in breast cancer prevention” organised by Times Ladies Association of the New Times Corporation, publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, in Accra on Thursday.
The event themed “Breast Cancer Awareness- Promoting Early Detection, Healthy Eating and Prevention.” 
She noted that having a risk factor did not automatically mean a person would develop breast cancer, but could increase the likelihood of developing the disease compared with someone without that particular risk factor.
“Having close relatives who have had breast cancer, particularly a mother, sister or daughter, may increase the risk, although not everyone with a family history will develop the disease,” Dr Asare opined. Read More.
By Adizatu K. Munkaila
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A group of compassionate friends from Innovation Gospel Impact last Friday visited the management, teachers and learners of the Street Academy in Accra.
The visit was to interact to get a deeper insight into the operations of the Academy that houses hundreds of street and underprivileged children and find ways to support them.
The team was led by Rev. Dr Isaac Apenteng Yeboah, a former Director for West African Mailbox Club and Director for Prisons Support Foundation, and Rev. Dale Sutherland from Washington DC.
The call, according to the visitors was occasioned by reports about the struggles of the Academy despite the occasional support it enjoys from individuals and some corporate entities.
Briefing them, the Founder and Executive Director of the Academy, Dr Ataa Lartey, thanked them for the concern showed, indicating that “this is a major boost for both teachers and learners; knowing that their plight is known by people outside their premises.”
According Dr Lartey, the Academy had planned to undertake a number of project to enhance teaching and learning and also procure facilities for the children with keen interest in sports but had to shelve those plans for lack of finance.
He told the team that their biggest concerns were the monthly utility bills that takes a toll on their finances.
“We have a piece of land we planned to turn into an astro turf pitch to train the younger ones whose interests lies in making a career out of football, however, we have been unable to commence because there is no money now,” he said.
Dr Lartey expressed gratitude to the teachers who have dedicated their lives to training these children, rather than going for well-paying jobs and hoped that with time, their conditions of engagement would improve.
Moved by the plight of the Academy, the group donated a cash amount of Gh₵3,000 to settle its water bills.
They described as unfortunate the conditions of learners and teachers of the Academy and pledged to continuously support their operations to realize the dream to build a better future for the unfortunate children.
The group offered to support the school with its monthly utility bills, feeding and staff allowance and urged the Academy staff to remain in constant touch with them.
The Street Academy is located at the Accra Art Center and offers brilliant but needy the chance to pursue their educational dreams by enrolling them in public schools with others offered training in sports and cultural activities.
By Spectator Reporter
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