The Acting Programme Manager for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Efua Commeh, has appealed to Ghanaians to stop stigmatising persons with breast cancer to enable affected individuals seek medical attention and combat the disease's high death rate.
Her appeal is against the backdrop of nearly 5,000 cases of breast cancer, which are recorded annually in Ghana, approximately 50 per cent of victims dying due to stigma and late detection.
Dr Commeh was speaking at the Ga East Municipal Hospital as part of activities marking breast cancer awareness month, organised by the assembly in partnership with MedyLife Healthcare in Accra yesterday, on the theme: 'No One Should Face Breast Cancer Alone.' "Early detection through regular clinical breast examinations is vital in preventing high mortality rates, improving survival rates, and enhancing quality of life," she stated.
Dr Commeh revealed that breast cancer cases in Ghana reached 5,026, with 2,369 deaths as of 2022.