Executive Director of Meena Breast Cancer Foundation, Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, has urged government to take an active participation in the treatment and creating awareness of breast cancer.
He made this statement during the official opening of the Meena Breast Cancer Foundation office.
According to him, Ghana doesn’t give enough prominence to breast cancer the same way it does to other diseases. “We need to change this as breast cancer kills most women in Ghana, but the death toll can be reduced if the cancer is detected early. “
Speaking on what influenced their decision to open the office, Mr. Kwarteng said after the launch of the foundation some 3 months back, many women suffering from breast cancer had reached out to the foundation for help.
“This makes me ask myself the kind of society we’re leaving in. This is because we’re taking our health care system for granted. If not for my experience with my wife, I didn’t know that there are a lot of breast cancer patients whom because of stigma refuse to come out although they are suffering and need help,” he mentioned.
Mr. Kwarteng who doubles as the Executive Director at Crime Check Foundation, revealed that prior to his wife’s death, Crime Check had a health check series where they catered for people with all sorts of diseases including general cancer and breast cancer.
But after the demise of his wife, he realized that he won’t gain the prominence and awareness he wants for the disease hence his reason for taking it out to let it stand on its own.
“If anyone needs support for breast cancer anywhere in Ghana, they can come to the Meena Breast Cancer Foundation for help. There are a lot of people who need help but can’t afford it this is why today we are inaugurating our modest office,” he stated.
Although it his wife’s dream to set up a breast cancer foundation, he is glad to be running it in her memory.
“The government I think is taking the disease for granted because at this stage, we should have had at least one hospital solely for treating breast cancer patients because it is the deadliest disease in the world, and constantly, a large amount of people still suffers the disease and the government should be able to intervene,” he said.
The Meena Breast Cancer Foundation is an initiative birthed on the vision of the late Amina Oppong Kwarteng, who sadly died of the same disease.
The Meena Breast Cancer Foundation office can be located right on top of the Mataheko Pharmacy.
By: Gyamfuah Owusu-Ackom
