At least fifteen pupils of the Petuduase T.I Ahmadiyya Basic School in the Central Region have been identified to have lumps in their breasts.
The adolescents, ranging from ages 12 to 15 were screened together with women in Petuduase during Meena Breast Cancer Foundation’s (MBCF), breast cancer sensitization and screening in the community.
Established a year ago, MBCF is dedicated to fighting breast cancer all year round.
The Foundation has visited schools, religious institutions, and communities with its outreach.
According to the lead medical screening officer from the Tema General Hospital, Dorothy Denkyi, most of the girls who knew about the unusual changes in their breasts could not confide in their parents for fear of backlash.
“Many of them thought they were pregnant so they were scared to tell their parents about it. They were rather hoping to visit their midwives though they were feeling pains,” the Tema General Hospital midwife said.
Mrs. Denkyi said the affected children have been given the necessary psychological care and have been referred to seek further diagnosis.
“We have been able to educate them and talk to them that at least it is not the end of the road,” she said.
“We have given them referral to nearby hospitals so that the necessary investigations can go ahead to ascertain their fate,” Rita Deho, a Senior Nurse at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital added.
Meena Breast Cancer Foundation (MBCF) has pledged to offer the pupils support to save their future as they seek further medical care.
MBCF was established on the vision of the late Mrs. Amina Oppong Kwarteng, spouse of Mr. Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation and MBCF. Mrs. Kwarteng died of breast cancer in 2022.
She had vowed to give her all to the fight against the deadly disease but sadly succumbed to it.
