Mr Isaac Ashai Odamtten, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema East, has urged men to take a more active role in promoting breast cancer awareness and supporting women in identifying unusual changes in their breasts and seeking early medical attention.
Mr Odamtten said although breast cancer predominantly affected women, its impact extended beyond those diagnosed to husbands, children, families, workplaces and communities.
He made the call at the launch of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month by the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH), where he stressed the need for breast cancer awareness to become part of everyday health conversations rather than being limited to activities organised during October.
He said men, particularly husbands and partners, had an important role to play in encouraging women to pay attention to their breast health and seek professional medical advice whenever they noticed anything unusual.
Changes such as a lump or thickening in the breast, changes in the size or appearance of the breast, changes to the skin, or unusual nipple discharge should not be ignored, saying although women were encouraged to be familiar with their breasts and report unusual changes, men could also support them by paying attention and encouraging them to seek appropriate medical care.
The MP stated that breast health should not be treated as an issue that concerned women alone, stressing that families and communities had a collective responsibility to promote early detection and timely treatment.
Mr Odamtten also called for greater public education to address fear, stigma and misinformation surrounding cancer, saying that some people delay in seeking medical care because they were afraid of the possible diagnosis, while others depended on unverified treatments and only sought professional help when the disease had progressed.
He therefore urged communities to create an environment where people could discuss cancer openly, seek screening and receive support after diagnosis, reminding Ghanaians that although breast cancer was much less common in men, men could also develop the disease, making breast health an issue that required everyone’s attention.
He called for breast cancer education to be extended beyond hospitals to homes, churches, mosques, schools, workplaces and other community settings and added that he, as a political leader, had a responsibility to support initiatives that promoted preventive healthcare, increased awareness and improved access to healthcare services.
The MP also announced his commitment to fully sponsor this year’s Manhean Breast Cancer Month as part of his contribution to the awareness creation and prevention, and commended IMaH and its partners for initiating the campaign and urged Ghanaians to move beyond simply wearing the pink ribbon.
Source: GNA
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