October is marked as Breast Cancer Awareness Month globally to help increase awareness, support, early diagnoses, and treatment of breast cancer.
In this regard, 12 Rotary Clubs, 1 Lions Club, and 2 Rotaract Clubs partnered with the Breasted One and the Nima Polyclinic to educate and encourage women on the need to screen their breasts routinely in order to detect the disease at a treatable stage before it becomes deadly at the St. Kizito Catholic Church at Nima.
The President of the Rotary Club of Accra-Airport City, Rotarian Genevieve Larko Kwashie stated: ” we are doing this exercise because there are a lot of women who do not know their status so we believe that this screening is needed to create more awareness about the disease.
Ruffa Yetagbo, the health officer from the Nima polyclinic during the awareness session encouraged the women present to regularly self-examine their breasts at least once a month.
“You can do this by looking at your breasts in a mirror, then carefully massage your breasts and armpits and gently squeeze your nipple for any discharge. There should be no lumps in a normal breast”. When done regularly, women will be able to easily find any change in the size, shape o,r color of their breasts or nipples, she added. attendances had the chance to ask questions about other breast care-related issues.
Lion Wolanyo Deklu, Service Chairperson of Accra Golden Lions Club added “early diagnosis will mean that our mothers, sisters, and daughters will have a higher chance of surviving breast cancer”. He also entreated them to pay close attention to their breasts and consult a health centre if they notice any inconsistencies.
Over 250 people including men within the Nima community made themselves available to be screened.
This joint project was executed by the Rotary Clubs of Accra Airport City, Accra-East, Accra – Teshie Nungua, Akosombo-Dam City, Accra-Airport East, Accra- La East, Koforidua-New Juaben, Accra-SpeakMasters, Rotary Ghana Alumni Association, Rotaract clubs of Accra -La East, UPSA, and the Accra Golden Lions Club.
