BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH OBSERVED

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is marked in countries across the world and helps to increase attention and support for awareness, early diagnosis, and treatment as well as palliative care for women facing this disease.

In our bid to mark this year's Breast awareness month, the  Health Directorate of the Ablekuma West Municipal Assembly organized a two-day program to create awareness of this deadly disease.

On Wednesday 27th October, constituents of the municipality were gathered at the Methodist Church premises in Glefe for sensitization on Breast Cancer. Resource persons from the Assembly Health Directorate led in this sensitizations and awareness creation. The Directorate also took the opportunity to provide weighing services for nursing mothers and their babies. They also administered the Covid-19 vaccines to participants willing to take the jab.

The second day's program took place at the Ablekuma West Assembly Hall for staff of the assembly. The awareness creation and sensitization continued with the staff as members of the Health Directorate took turns to educate the staff on the dangers of the disease, how to detect it early, and its prevention.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and is the most common cause of cancer among women in most countries. In low- and middle-income countries the incidence has been rising steadily due to increased life expectancy, changing reproductive patterns, and the adoption of western lifestyles.

Early diagnosis remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. When found early, and if adequate diagnosis and treatment are available, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured. If detected late, however, curative treatment is often no longer an option. In such cases, treatment may improve quality of life and delay disease progression, while supportive and palliative care should be readily available to relieve suffering for patients and their families.