Vice President of Ghana, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has emphasized that early and regular breast screening is key to the prevention and detection of breast cancer among women.
She made this comment at the launch of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the commemoration of the International Day of Older Persons, organized by the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection on Wednesday, October 1, in Accra.
Speaking at the event, Professor Opoku-Agyemang noted that it is vital for women to undertake regular and early breast screenings as part of efforts to detect and prevent breast cancer.
“As part of awareness creation, we must admonish our sisters, mothers, and female relatives to be intentional about the health of their breasts by undertaking early and regular examinations to detect and prevent the occurrence of breast cancer,” she said.
According to the Vice President, early screenings help to quickly detect emerging diseases, which makes them easier to manage.
“This will go a long way to help medical professionals and experts stay ahead of the curve when it comes to such issues, enabling appropriate steps to be taken to provide the best possible care,” she added.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang further stated that the Mahama-led government is committed to leveling the playing field across all sectors to promote inclusivity in national development.
“The Mahama-led government is focused on expanding current social protection programs while introducing more livelihood enrichment initiatives such as the Edwumawura programme, increasing feeding allocations for prisoners, and streamlining processes under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) scheme to reduce inequalities across the country as part of the administration’s Reset Agenda,” she explained.
The Vice President also assured the Ministry of Gender of the government’s full support for its programmes, pledging stronger collaboration to reduce inequalities nationwide. She further commended the Ministry’s staff for their resilience in carrying out their duties despite the heavy responsibilities they shoulder.
This year’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month is on the theme: “Catch it early, treat it early.” The International Day of Older Persons is being marked under the theme: “Older persons driving local and global action: our aspirations, our well-being, and our rights.”
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Story by Sika Togoh | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Gabriel Tecco Mensah
