Not Just a Woman's Disease: Gold Fields Health Campaign Stresses Breast Cancer Awareness for All

The warning came from Dr Magdalene Dari Bakari, a health specialist with Gold Fields Ghana, during a community breast cancer screening and sensitisation program organised for marketwomen.

“The key message we are preaching is the need for screening, especially the self-breast examination,” Dr Bakari stated. “And I' like to emphasise that breast cancer does not affect only women. Yes, it affects women more often than men, but it can affect men.”

The event is part of a broader month-long initiative by Gold Fields to educate its host communities on the importance of early detection. The campaign began at Fiaseman Senior High School in Tarkwa before moving to the Damang market.

Dr Bakari provided clear guidelines for self-examination, urging women to perform it monthly, a week after their menstrual cycle. For men, she advised a monthly check at any time.

“As women, we need to know what our normal is so that whenever we see something different from what we know to be normal, we can get the right help at the right time,” she explained.The practical demonstration of the community outreach’s importance was immediate. Dr Bakari revealed that the initial screenings at the market had already identified several potential cases that required further investigation.

“We started the screening exercise, and already we picked up a few people with lumps in their breasts,” she reported. “Some have this chronic pain in the breast that we need to investigate, and then there have been a few with some discharge from their nipples, though they are not breastfeeding or pregnant.”

She confirmed that the individuals have been contacted and will be followed up with to ensure they receive a proper diagnosis and timely treatment.

The exercise was met with gratitude from the marketwomen, several of whom shared positive experiences from the screening. Health officials reiterated their advice for all individuals over 40 to undergo an annual clinical breast exam with a nurse or doctor, in addition to performing monthly self-exams.

Source: Nana Esi Brew Monney

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