Rekindling the assurance for treatment, Founder and President of Breast Care International, Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, reiterated that public education had proved an effective weapon in the chain to roll back the numbing statistics, but said public admission of the disease by patients and opinion leaders, would consolidate gains and confirm public confidence that breast cancer is curable and survivable.

Dr. Wiafe, also the Chief Executive Officer of the Peace And Love Hospital, commended survivors who have braved stigma and sometimes public ridicule to share their success treatment stories as part of the program by BCI to encourage those suffering silently to break same and step forward, and out of the darkness for treatment.

Speaking to members of the Ebenezer Presby Church, Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, also cautioned the gathering against non-communicable diseases, which she said had become silent killers, and advised the public against lifestyle diseases including diabetes and hypertension.

Turning out in their  numbers, the gathering which also included students from the Nyinahini Catholic Senior High school, was assured that people with breast cancer could survive, as evidenced by survivors present who shared their lifetime experiences, but on condition that the disease is detected on time and reported promptly for treatment.

The Reverend George Bekoe Appiah-Korang, the minister in charge of the Nyinahini Presby Church, associated himself with the challenge to break the silence on the condition and implored members to imbibe the breast cancer education given by the BCI team and report any suspicious lump in the breast for prompt action.

The highly patronized free public education program was complemented with free breast screening.

The medical team also screened the public for hypertension and diabetes among other non-communicable diseases.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The upcoming walk – the seventh in succession – draws inspiration and lessons from the maiden edition in Kumasi in 2011, in what has now become a landmark event, in the nationwide campaign to create awareness about breast cancer.

The event will also serve as an opportunity to showcase survivorship and reduce the stage at which women report to the hospitals.

“Our success story, imprinted on the minds of millions around the globe, is credited to our survivors, corporate Ghana, royalty, philanthropists, the media and the public in General,” declared Breast Care International’s President, Dr. (Mrs.) Beatrice Wiafe Addai, at the media launch of the 7^th BCI Ghana “Walk for the cure” in Koforidua on Tuesday.

Dr. (Mrs.) Beatrice Wiafe Addai, who is also the CEO of Peace and Love Hospitals, hailed the two institutions for remaining steadfast to the over-arching desire to intensify the breast cancer awareness creation drive, which she said is evidenced in the increased number of survivors, reduction in late stage presentation of cases, enhanced awareness about the condition, and acceptance that breast cancer is neither the product of myths, superstition, witchcraft, nor any notionally-held belief.

The global visibility and mileage enjoyed by BCI could not have been without the sustained cooperation of over 750 strong survivors (members of Peace And Love Survivors Association), who have defied the odds and risk of stigmatization to give word of mouth attestation publicly, convincing many, that indeed breast cancer is curable and survivable.

“Our Oncology Training Project, which brought 120 hitherto unemployed community based nurses to help detect and refer people with early stage Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) especially Breast Cancers, Cervical Cancers, Hypertension and Diabetes) at the community level in the two pilot regions of Ashanti and Eastern, attests to our keen commitment to spread out quality health care to the doorsteps of Ghanaians.”

On the venue for the walk, Dr. Wiafe Addai said “our choice of Koforidua for the 2017 walk was predicated on the conviction that the city is strategically placed to imbibe the anti-breast cancer awareness message for onward transmission to rural areas, where late stage presentation regrettably, is predominant.”

The Global BCI Ghana Walk for the Cure is also to serve as a prelude to the Great Akwantukesie Festival of the chiefs and people of the New Juaben Traditional Council.

“We are determined to ride on the back of the October 14 Koforidua walk to affirm our long held assertion that breast cancer is curable, highly treatable and survivable , if only detected early, a medical contract we hold true, and owe our patients,” Dr. Wiafe Addai added.

Dr. Wiafe Addai was grateful for the political and traditional leadership of the Eastern Region and also thanked the sponsors of the event which includes: Special Ice, ADB, Johnson & Johnson, Direct Relief, Roche, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, GTP, Jackson Educational Complex, Save Concept, Star Assurance, Cedar Point Chemists, Ghana Airports and the media.

The maiden walk is themed: “our breasts, let’s check them.”

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Credit: Breast Care International

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The screening exercise was held for members of the of Assemblies of God and Methodist Churches, in a marathon double service which brought thousands of women together in the lead-up to the major walk against breast cancer.

The Head Pastor of the Assemblies of God Church, Reverend Alex Ofori Amankwaah, and Right Reverend Samuel Duah, under whose auspices the programs took place, unanimously stated that the city was poised for the major walk as evidenced by the massive turn-out at the free screening, during which patrons were screened for Breast Cancer, and other non-communicable diseases including Hypertension and Diabetes.

BCI Founder and President, Dr. Mrs. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, in an interview, commended the royalty, media, civil society and the region in its entirety for collaborating and assisting in diverse ways since the city was chosen to host the annual BCI flagship program, promising that “the Eastern region would tell a new story, after the walk, as the BCI team works with all allied institutions to drive down the disturbing breast cancer statistics affecting women in the region.”

Dr. Wiafe commended heads of the various institutions in the region for agreeing to release their members for the walk.

Billed to pull a record number of participants (The highest in the seven-year history of the annual event), the event is fashioned to heighten awareness about the debilitating disease and to assure the public that there is hope for survival, as long as the afflicted report promptly for medical attention.

Clerics of the two religious institutions could not hide their excitement for having the BCI team in their midst, and pleaded with women in general to shed off apathy and all misconceptions about breast cancer, and rather rally around BCI which has demonstrated sustained willingness and readiness to fight off and reduce the incidence of the disease to the barest minimum in Ghana.

Elsewhere in the Ashanti region, enthusiastic members of the Ghana association of tailors and dressmakers have carried out a clean- up exercise at Oduom in Kumasi, near the premises of the Peace and Love Hospital, desilting gutters and clearing nearby shrubs, as part of their annual get together.

Dr. Wiafe praised the association for the communal spirit and assured her institutions’ continued collaboration, emphasizing the fact that the health facility is keen on extending cutting-edge health services to all Ghanaians.

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Source: Breast Care International

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This was to commemorate the Health week of the Church.

The Breast Care International, BCI, and Special Group of Companies medical collaboration was on the theme – Breast Cancer Awareness – “Fight, Cure, Survive and Hope.”

Drawing on BCI’s tagline of early detection and prompt action saves live, Founder and President of Breast Care International, Dr. Beatrice Wiafe-Addai was of the conviction that the fight against breast cancer demanded a concerted effort, stressing it should not be left to a few committed individuals and organisations.

Using the Breast Cancer platform, Dr. Wiafe touched on other common cancers like Cervical and Prostate; free screening were done for other Non-Communicable diseases like Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus.

Members of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, whose post Annual General meeting church service coincided with the program, were screened for their sugar level, hypertension, and breast diseases especially cancer.

Dr. Beatrice Wiafe- Addai said the annual program had been designed to bring relief to the numerous women and men suffering from these curable and survivable diseases.

She explained that the unwavering commitment against the breast cancer scourge was borne out of the strong believe that no woman should die from a disease the treatment of which was competently within the remit of skilled Health Care personnel.

Dr. Wiafe highlighted some salient aspects of the NGO’s annual flagship program, dubbed “BCI GHANA WALK FOR CURE”, scheduled for October 14^{th 2017} in Koforidua, and appealed to the public to turn out massively and make this year’s version, the seventh in succession, a spectacular success.

She also reminded the community based nurses, who’re going to be trained in basic oncology, from 27^th to31st August 2017, to go back to their communities to assist in the early diagnosis of women with Breast and Cervical Cancer, and to refer them to the specialized centres, for meaningful and prompt treatment, irrespective of where these vulnerable women reside since those diagnosed will be receiving the necessary financial support they need.

The Director (Dr. Ofori Sarpong) and management of Special Group of Companies (Special Water),have graciously agreed to brand their water to be on the forefront of Breast Cancer Awareness in the country and beyond. Some of the branded water were donated to the congregation for free. Special Ice company commended BCI for being consistent in spreading educational messages about breast cancer in particular, and other medical conditions which are silently, but needlessly claiming the lives of Ghanaians.

The collaboration between Breast Care International and Special Ice, Dr. Wiafe stated, is expected to go a long way in the fight against Breast Cancer. Ghanaians were encouraged to patronize the Special Ice Water, to assist in its awareness program; stating, that all the water to be used for the training and BCI Ghana Walk for the Cure are going to be the branded Special Ice Water .

She expressed her appreciation to the sponsors.

Members of the pharmaceutical society of Ghana associated themselves, praising BCI for tenacity, fortitude, zeal and hard word.

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Credit: Breast Care International

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In attendance was Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, the Deputy regional minister, Elizabeth Agyemang and the MMDCEs in the region.

The seminar, which was under the auspices of Breast Care International, comes ahead of the formal launch of the basic oncology program for 120 nurses to be trained in clinically examining and promptly referring women with suspicious lesions to treatment centers.

Two nurses each would be drawn from each of the Districts in the two pilot regions of Ashanti and Eastern who would be trained and returned to their respective communities in a scheme designed for the localities to own and internalize the project.

A communique issued and signed at the end of the seminar by the President of Breast Care International, Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, said “it was about time communities owned a domesticated program, tailored to rapidly facilitate the early detection and referral of suspected cases in a bid to reduce breast cancer mortality cases.”

Dr. Wiafe explained the program feeds into the Health module of the NYEP, promising graded expansion and eventual National coverage in a determined effort to decrease the higher mortality rate from breast cancer and reduce the incidence of advanced stage diseases in deprived communities.

Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Elizabeth Agyemang, who chaired the program at the regional coordinating council lauded the novelty and promised the administration would support any venture designed to harness the human capital of Ghanaians. BCi ambassador, Ace Actress Akosua Agyapong, was there to entertain the participants.

MMDCEs present were charged to ensure the success of the program as they partner BCI to reduce the incidence of breast cancer in Ghana.

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Credit: Breast Care International

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In attendance was Breast Care International (BCI) President, Dr. Breatrice Wiafe Addai, who in a post screening interview, told journalists in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, that children present a better option by serving as primary agents for the effective dissemination of breast-cancer related information to their contemporaries and immediate family members.

“We could literally consider and brand these future leaders as uninitiated brand ambassadors in our quest to create a wide pool of talents who would sustain our campaign messages across generations to the public. The youth are technologically inclined, they integrate easily but more importantly, they are free from the traditional notions of witchcraft among other beliefs which partly account for late stage presentation of breast cancer cases to hospitals,” she stated.

The students, numbering more than three thousand, were taking through factors that pre-dispose women to breast cancer including poor dietary habits, alcoholism and family history, with Dr. Wiafe insisting that, breast cancer is treatable, curable, and is neither caused by witchcraft nor any other notional belief, stressing that Africans suffer high mortality rates because of late stage presentation of the disease.

The Breast Care medical team also took the students through the most common non-communicable diseases, especially hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and checked the members of staff for their blood pressure and their sugar level.

Elsewhere at Abankro, a village near Ejisu, also in the region, a similar exercise involving the townsfolk saw several enthusiastic women asking pertinent questions on breast cancer with the team providing answers to the satisfaction of all.

The Abankro programme was at the instance of an indigene resident in Accra, Francis Owusu, whose passion for the welfare of women drove him to invite the BCI team to screen the women of the town.

In attendance were ace actress and breast cancer ambassador, Nana Ama McBrown, who endeared herself to both gatherings as she advised the students to focus on their studies and resist acts of peer pressure.

Queen mothers Nana Serwaa Bonsu the second, and Nana Foriwa Amanfo, were separately present at the two programmes.

Dr. Wiafe again implored the women to carry out breast self- examination and promptly report any abnormality or suspicious development in their breast to hospitals for further examination.

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Credit: Breast Care International

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The latest donation done at the premises of the Peace and Love Hospital, Oduom, Kumasi, in the Ashanti regional capital, according to the Founder and President of BCI, Dr. (Mrs) Beatrice Wiafe Addai, bolsters the enduring relationship with “our U.S. based, not for profit charity, Direct Relief, in our shared mission statement to distribute free life- saving medicines, and other medical consumables, among others, to health care delivery facilities operating in predominantly poor communities in Ghana.”

She explained that “Our partnership is underpinned by proven integrity, honesty, accountability and the sheer desire to reach out to those on the fringes of society.”

Dr. Wiafe Addai urged authorities of recipient institutions not to sell to their patients who would need the drug since they (drugs) were given to them for free.

She pleaded with the government of Ghana to help ease the process of clearing the drugs at the port and scrap the fat import duties on the drugs which are coming in to support its (government’s) effort to ensure quality health delivery in the country.

The first wave of donations, witnessed by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, his Deputy, Elizabeth Agyemang and representatives drawn from the beneficiary community, saw the distribution of infusions, lung cancer drugs, antibiotics, drugs for allergies, anti- hypertensive, anti-diabetes, and depressants to some tertiary hospitals, polyclinics, clinics and chip compounds.

The two associated themselves with calls for a concerted effort to fight off cancers and praised the leadership of BCI for the sustained campaign against the spread of breast cancer and other non- communicable diseases.

Also present at the ceremony was Mr. Tom Roane, Director of Strategic Initiatives of Direct Relief, who thanked BCI and the Ashanti Regional Health Ministry for their collaboration in distributing the Direct Relief donated medical goods to benefit Ghanaian underserved patients.

He mentioned that BCI has been a strong partner of Direct Relief for the past 4 years and has enabled tens of thousands of patients to gain access to specialized medicines to properly treat their medical conditions.

Roane also praised BCI’s Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai and the National Ministry of Health of Ghana for their vision and commitment to tackle non-communicable diseases and pledged Direct Relief’s continued support to help fulfill gaps in access to medicines for the underserved of Ghana, where possible.

Representing the beneficiary institutions, Mr. Paul Obeng, who heads the Pharmacy unit of the Pediatric Oncology of KATH, promised to put same to optimum use, and commended the donor Organization, notably Direct Relief, for remaining consistent to the welfare of the vulnerable and marginalized in society; he also thanked Breast Care International for their concern for the needy in the society.

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Credit: BCI

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The two institutions share a common goal of creating awareness and educating women about breast cancer.

Head of Comforting Queens,  Afuah Anku, told the media in Kumasi that she was motivated to join the fight against breast cancer after witnessing her mother  go through diagnosis, treatment  and cure.

She was of the conviction that the disease could be contained provided public education was intensified and women heeded to the call not to patronize products and services not medically certified for treatment of the disease.

Comforting Queens raises money for the acquisition of wigs, bras, and prostheses for breast cancer patients in a bid to enhance their physical look and feel.

The Chief Executive Officer of Peace and Love Hospitals, who doubles as the President of Breast Care International (BCI), Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, who received the items, commended Comforting Queens for the gesture and encouraged the public to help survivors live economically viable lives after treatment, saying the fight against breast cancer is a shared responsibility.

Dr. Wiafe, who in turn gave the items to the Peace and Love Survivors Association, (PALSA), directed that they should be given to survivors with low income backgrounds.

Dr. Wiafe said, a woman, according to statistics from the World Health Organization “dies somewhere around the globe every sixty-nine seconds from breast cancer.”

“That woman,” she continued, “could be your mother, sister, niece, wife, daughter or even friend.”

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Credit: Breast Care International

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She explained that though BCI is focused on breast cancer, “that does not negate the inclusion of other medical conditions (especially the other Non-Communicable Diseases) in the overall scheme of health care delivery of our facilities.”

“We are particularly interested in educating and treating the public for non-communicable diseases which continue to silently claim several innocent lives needlessly and most often prematurely,” she added.

Dr. Wiafe was speaking at Kwahu Tafo in the Eastern Region where the BCI team had carried out a free breast screening exercise for members of the Saint Joseph Clinic and maternity Home of the Catholic Church, as part of their Saint feast day and fund raising event for a haematology analyzer.

Dr. Wiafe commended the initiative to procure the equipment which she said would boost health care delivery in the community.

She assured the gathering that breast cancer, though deadly, is treatable, if detected early and same reported promptly to health facilities, and cautioned against over-reliance on prayer camps and advised the clergy to direct members with suspicious lumps in their breasts to report to hospitals for treatment.

For her part, the Sister in charge of the Hospital, the Reverend St. Dorotasojka, praised BCI for the level of dedication shown in fighting breast cancer, and called on members of the public to help the facility in its quest for standard equipment for improved services.

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Source: Breast Care International

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“A zero breast cancer population is impossible but we can drive down the figures drastically if we keep lifting the awareness creation bar notches up daily,” Dr. Wiafe who is also the Chief Executive for Peace and Love Hospitals, said.

The Multiple award winner, Dr. Wiafe, made the remark when she was addressing over 2,000 students and some old girls of the Krobo Girls Senior High school in the Eastern Region as part of the school’s 90^th anniversary celebrations.

She reiterated that it was important to inculcate the breast cancer information on the minds of the youth, who she described as “enterprising and agents of change.”

She said the various social media platforms should be engaged with updates on breast cancer information in a bid to keep the dynamic generation abreast of what is pertaining in the area of breast cancer.

“There is an explosion of information on the disease and these could be accessed at the click of a button on almost every hand-held communication gadget. This is the information age; let’s exploit research information to protect our women,” she pleaded.

The highly patronized program, which was sponsored by Delta Airlines took off to a bright start with the traditional education and counseling session, after which Dr. Wiafe answered some frequently asked questions, prominent among them were the causes, treatment, and survivability of the disease.

She assured the student body that BCI was keen on survivorship and made good the claim as several survivors took to the stage and related their lifetime experiences as patients first, and then survivors, to boost the morale and confidence of the students, while dispelling the notion that patients hardly survived the disease.

The Headmistress of Krobo Girls Senior High School, Ms. Cecilia Appiah was full of praise for BCI for projecting breast cancer and giving it a national character, promising that the board and management of the school, as well as the entire student body, would complement BCI in whatever way possible to spread the breast cancer awareness creation message in a bid to significantly reduce the mortality and morbidity arising from late stage reporting.

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Credit: Breast Care International

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