Ghanaian media personality and US based healthcare professional, Josephine Oppong-Yeboah has urged the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to intensify breast cancer education and outreach programmes, particularly among women in rural communities.
She said myths and misconceptions about the disease had contributed to delays in seeking medical care, resulting in preventable deaths.
Ms Oppong-Yeboah, who is gender and disability advocate, said sustained public education, led by the GHS, could help dispel these misconceptions and encourage more women to seek medical attention early.
She also commended non-governmental organisations (NGOs) supporting the health service to promote breast cancer awareness across the country.
In an interview, she said breast cancer awareness should not be limited to October, when the disease is highlighted globally, but should be maintained throughout the year to reach more women and girls.
“Many women are still under the impression that once breast cancer is detected, they are going to die. Such myths can only be corrected through sustained educational outreach,” she said.
She noted that some women were afraid they would die if their affected breast had to be removed, prompting them to delay seeking treatment until the disease had progressed and become more difficult to manage.
“We need to educate our women and girls about breast cancer. There is life after breast cancer detection. It only becomes a problem when the condition is detected late,” she said.
While acknowledging the global campaign to raise breast cancer awareness in October, Ms Oppong-Yeboah said Ghana needed to sustain its education efforts beyond the month.
“As a nation, we need not only to wait for October to do this education. We have to adopt any means to reach our women, especially those in the remotest parts of the country,” she said.
She added that misconceptions about breast cancer were particularly prevalent in remote communities, where access to healthcare remained a major challenge.
“We should not be losing our women to breast cancer. We need to do whatever we need to do to get the awareness message to our women,” she said.
Ms Oppong-Yeboah also encouraged women and girls to visit health facilities for breast health checks and seek medical advice when they noticed any unusual changes, emphasising the importance of early detection.
