A Cancer Surgeon and Head of Breast Care International (BCI), Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai has stated the need for the youth to be sensitized on cancers especially breast cancer.
This, she noted will help the younger generation especially students to become aware of the devastating consequences of the disease and the urgent need to avoid having same.
Speaking to students from the Kumasi Girls, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and T.I Ahmadiyya Senior High Schools in Kumasi during the maiden quiz on breast cancer, Dr Addai noted the seriousness the country needed to deal with cancer cases.
She therefore asked stakeholders in Ghana’s health care sector as well as students who have gained knowledge about the disease to join BCI to sensitize the public against cancers especially breast cancer.
‘’It is important that we increase the education about cancers in schools as well as public places so that this generation and the future ones will get enough information to avoiding cancer’’, Dr Wiafe Addai posited.
REGIONAL MINISTER:
Addressing students and participants later, Mr Simon Osei Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister underscored the urgent need to sensitize students and the youth on cancer.
According to him, the youth could better continue the education in their various places of residence after they have gained the right knowledge on cancer and the available treatment.
The Minister stressed that cancer and especially breast cancer was not a spiritual disease or an activity of witches as the public had been erroneously made to believe.
Cancers, the Minister noted was treatable and curable when they are detected early since the BCI had been able to cure about 800 patients who attended care at the Peace and Love Hospitals.
In recognition of the need to get the people sensitized on breast cancer and other cancers, the Minister announced the decision by government to include breast cancer awareness forums as part of the upcoming and subsequent celebrations of Independence Day which falls on the 6th of March every year in Ghana.
QUIZ:
Displaying tremendous knowledge in cancers especially breast cancer, students from the T.I Ahmadiyya SHS brushed aside stiff competition from their counterparts from the KNUST SHS and Kumasi Girls.
Winning with 107 points, T.I Amass gained the accolade of being the first Senior High School in Ashanti to win the Breast Care International Quiz Competition of Cancer.
Finishing first and second runner up in the competition which begun with 12 Schools, were KNUST SHS and Kumasi Girls who secured 96 and 90 points respectively.
Miss Amina Mohammed, an 18 year old SHS student from TI Amass was crowned the outstanding student in the quiz and for her prize BCI offered to give her a scholarship to the Medical School when she finishes her Senior High School Education with good grades.
Each school took home special books from a husband of a survivor of breast cancer and a cash prize of GHC 500, GHC 300 and GHC 200 respectively were given to the three schools based on their placements by the Regional Minister.
The Asemhene, Nana Ampofo Kyei Baffuor who chaired the occasion commended the BCI leader for her tenacity in carrying the crusade against breast cancer across the Nations of the World.
