The Provost of the College of Health Sciences (CHS), Professor Alfred E. Yawson, has called for psychological counselling and intense community engagement for breast cancer patients to help them confront the challenges associated with the disease.

“Pragmatic measures which seek to assist patients to confront breast cancer with dignity, strength, and hope must be deployed to curtail societal pressure tied to body image, marriage expectations, and gender norms, among other challenges,” the Provost said.

Speaking at the CHS 25th Anniversary Symposium of the college on the theme, “From Genes to Generations: African Genomics, Knowledge Gaps, and Lessons from Breast Cancer,” in Accra on Friday, Professor Yawson said the stigma and silence surrounding the disease often make women and men reluctant to seek early treatment.

The symposium, which was under the sub-theme “The Sociology of the Breast: Gender, Size, Identity and Empowerment in the Face of Cancer,” formed part of CHS’s activities marking the celebration.

According to him, it was a must for all health institutions and other stakeholders to reaffirm their collective responsibilities in addressing the disease as both a medical and societal challenge.

Professor Yawson stressed that promoting routine breast screening and expanding access to mammography services nationwide was essential if the fight against the disease was to be achieved.

“We must strengthen research collaborations between and within institutions of the CHS, University of Ghana Medical College (UGMC), West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC), and other institutions in the university and beyond in order to provide evidence to support policy reforms that make cancer care affordable and accessible to all Ghanaians,” he said.

The Provost also indicated that one of the commitments of CHS was to build the infrastructure, expertise, and partnerships necessary to place Ghana at the forefront of genomic research in Africa.

He stressed that breast cancer should no longer be a silent killer in Ghana, adding that with science, compassion, and collective will, fear should be transformed into empowerment, diagnosis turned into recovery, and despair into resilience.

The Provost indicated that data from the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN 2024) show that Ghana records approximately 4,800 new cases yearly, with 31 percent attributed to female cancers.

Professor Yawson said the data indicated that 2,000 Ghanaian women die annually from breast cancer. Out of that number, he said, 60 per cent of these deaths were diagnosed at very advanced stages (Stage III and Stage IV), where treatment options are limited.

A Lecturer at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Ghana, Legon, Dr Merri Iddrisu, said providing compassion and love for breast cancer patients could significantly improve their emotional well-being.

BY VICTOR A. BUXTON & CHELSEALINA ASANTE