Raisa Sambou shares her story

The Spectator Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign ended with a health talk at the Labone Senior High School last week Friday in Accra.

Health experts took turns educating the students and other participants on breast cancer and how it could be treated.

A representative from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Promise Emmanuel Sefogah, advised the students to continue to exercise and adopt a healthy lifestyle because it was one way of preventing breast cancer.

He stated that about 99 per cent of women were at risk of getting breast cancer and they must adopt the self-examination every month and go for clinical check up for early detection.

Dr Victoria Partey-Newman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ladybits Health and Wellness Clinics, urged women to continue to breastfeed their children exclusively because research showed that women who breastfed more often had fewer incidents of breast cancer.

She advised the students to report to any health facility when they felt any lump in their breasts, as early detection saved lives.

“Breast cancer is not a death sentence, be ambassadors of breast cancer in your homes, churches, and everywhere you find yourself to save lives,” she stressed.

Ms Esther Danquah and Ms Rosemary Akuffo Addo, midwives from the Kaneshie Polyclinic, demonstrated to the students how to do self-examination and urged them to do this exercise every month for early detection.

A survivor of breast cancer, Ms Raissa Sambou, shared her story with the students, stating that “breast cancer does not only affect middle-aged women or old women, it can affect every woman and there is a need to know your body and visit the hospital every year for examination.”

Before the talk, the Editor of The Spectator, Mr. Emmanuel Amponsah, emphasised that most women were losing their lives due to breast cancer and advised the students to give a listening ear to everything that would be discussed at the programme.

He again urged the students to educate their families, friends, and loved ones about this preventable disease.

The Editor stressed that self-examination and early detection would help save the situation in time and cautioned against stigmatisation.

Mr. Alfred Koomson, Marketing Manager of the New Times Corporation, publishers of The Spectator and Ghanaian Times, said the company brought this initiative to the doorstep of Labone Senior High School to continue to create awareness of breast cancer since they were the future leaders.

“About 2,000 women die every year, and the simplest fact is that we are taking breast cancer disease for granted,” he stressed.

The Headmistress of the Labone Senior High School, Mrs. Rejoice Akua Acolor applauded The New Times Corporation for this initiative and stressed the need for people to be educated on breast cancer because the disease was less talked about in the country.

The President of Times Ladies Association and Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Mrs. Georgina Quaitoo, asked the female students to do self-examination of breast cancer by themselves but not allow any man to touch their breasts, adding that “be cautious about what you eat in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.”

On behalf of the New Times Corporation, the Marketing Manager and the Editor of The Spectator donated first aid kits, sanitisers, and dewormers to the school.

Ace hiplife artiste Kwaku Duah, popularly known as Tic, an old student of the school, charged the atmosphere with his exciting tunes, which saw dignitaries at the event as well as the students dancing to the songs.

The campaign, which began with a screening of the breast at the Kaneshie Market Complex under the theme, “Life Before and after Breast Cancer: A Future of Positivity and Hope,” was to create awareness about this non-communicable disease.

By Linda Abrefi Wadie