Editorial
Thanks for making our breast cancer campaign a huge success!
There is no doubt that breast cancer is one of the most topical medical adversaries the world is facing today. Perhaps this is why in Ghana, the whole of October is recognised as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Obviously, the purpose is to increase the early detection of the disease by encouraging women as well as men to be aware of the status of their breasts and report any changes to their doctor or health facility.
Understanding the different testing options means that more people will gain access to screening and fewer people will die from the disease.
Cancer awareness can also lead to people making healthier lifestyle choices.
Certainly, awareness seems to have risen, and each year more and more attention is being given to the issue of breast cancer.
Research has proven that the disease is endemic in women and rarely in men. It is as a result of this that The Spectator, Your Weekend Companion, embarked on the month-long breast cancer campaign to create more awareness of its traumatic and potentially devastating effect on women, particularly.
The Spectator Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, under the theme “Life Before and After Breast Cancer: A Future of Positivity and Hope”, educated the public on early signs and symptoms of breast cancer; on preventive measures, diagnostic and treatment centres; on the measures put in place for early detection; about the various options available for cure; and to assist in the management of patients with breast cancer, among others.
There were four events for the breast cancer crusade, and these included the unveiling of the campaign at the Kaneshie Market Complex, which houses about 10,000 traders; free breast screening at the market; talk on breast cancer at Labone Senior High School, which attracted many other students from Accra; while stories and pictures of the events were carried in all the editions of The Spectator throughout the month of October.
To ensure extensive publication of the campaign, articles on breast cancer written by health experts and other authors with knowledge of the disease were featured in the weekly newspaper also.
Your uniquely feminist health-conscious brand, The Spectator, and its socially responsible organisation, the New Times Corporation, publishers of our newspaper as well as Ghanaian Times, would, therefore, like to take this opportunity to commend partners in the campaign — World Health Organisation (lead partners), Unichem Ghana Group, Kaneshie Market Complex, Kaneshie Medical Centre, Kaneshie Polyclinic, Ladybits Health and Wellness Clinic, and Chizzy Pizza — for their immense support, which went a long way to make the crusade a big success.
At the end of it all, about 125 traders who were suspected to have the disease after the screening were referred to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital; many students in Accra who trooped to the Labone Senior High School to listen to the talk on breast cancer expressed their readiness to educate others on the disease; and the extensive coverage of the campaign had created a huge public awareness.
Consequently, The Spectator wishes to thank the public in general for their moral support to enable the campaign to end successfully.
Editorial
Don’t use polythene bags to store hot, oily foods
Ghanaians have been advised to refrain from putting hot or oily foods in plastic bags because it poses major health risks.
The warning states that storing hot foods in polythene bags, especially ones that are not made for food storage can cause dangerous chemicals to leak into the food, which could be dangerous for one’s health.
Professor Esther Sakyi-Dawson, an Associate Professor of Food Science at the University of Ghana, gave this warning at a World Food Safety Day celebration in Accra on Tuesday.
With the theme “Food Safety: Science in Action,” this year’s World Food Safety Day focused on the critical role that scientific knowledge plays in guaranteeing food safety and fostering confidence in the food supply.
According to Prof. Sakyi-Dawson, when plastics are heated, toxic substances can seep into the food, contaminating it and raising the risk of several chronic illnesses, including hormone imbalances, reproductive problems, and even some types of cancer, which are on the rise in the nation.
According to estimates from the World Health Organisation (WHO), food contamination causes over 400,000 deaths annually and 600 million foodborne illness cases.
Also, a third of all deaths worldwide are caused by foodborne illnesses, which affect at least 91 million people in Africa each year. Of these, 40 percent are in children under the age of five.
Given the concerning statistics, there is an urgent need to raise awareness that eating hot foods like banku, rice, waakye, or “koko” (porridge) wrapped in plastic is extremely harmful to one’s health.
It is more important to avoid putting food in black plastics, which are not food quality and are typically used for carrying items. Similarly, white polythene should not come into close contact with food.
Despite the warning, Ghanaians have been urged to watch out for food-grade plastics, which are frequently thick, to use for food packing and storage as needed
Since “to be forewarned is to be forearmed” The Spectator advises consumers to put their health first by making the appropriate choices about what they put into their bodies for their own safety.
Editorial
Ensure safety of children during rainy seasonfacilities
Dear Editor,
I write to express concern about the safety of school-going children during these unpredictable weather conditions.
Many children walk long distances to get to school on roads which are mostly poorly drained.
Also, the combination of low visibility, slippery surfaces, and increased vehicular traffic during rains presents real risks to their health and safety.
While I urge local authorities to improve road infrastructure and pedestrian protections around schools, I wish to especially appeal to parents and guardians to take proactive steps in safeguarding their children during this season.
Parents should ensure their children are dressed properly in waterproof or warm clothing, including raincoats, boots, and umbrellas where possible.
Also, parents should accompany younger children to school when it is raining or overly windy, or arrange for responsible adults to do so.
Again, I urge parents to teach their children basic road safety and help them identify the safest routes to school.
In my view, I think it will be prudent to delay leaving the house when rain is heavy or visibility is poor, even if it means arriving at school later and safer.
It is important to remember that safety begins at home. While schools and government agencies have a role to play, parents and caregivers, must not leave the protection of our children to chance.
I believe that with shared responsibility between the state and the family, avoidable accidents could be prevented and ensure every child makes it to school and back home safely.
Abui, Korle Gonno
