News & Current Affairs
ADDRO Screens 288 Women for Breast Cancer in Kassena-Nankana West and Builsa North
ADDRO and GHS screened 288 women in Kassena-Nankana West and Builsa North; six suspected breast cancer cases were referred to Sandema Hospital.
Six women have been referred to the Sandema Hospital for further examination after a breast cancer screening exercise covering 288 people in two Upper East districts, according to the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
The Anglican Diocesan Development and Relief Organisation (ADDRO), working with the Ghana Health Service, carried out the education and screening in 14 communities across the Kassena-Nankana West District and the Builsa North Municipality. Those screened included 248 caregivers and 40 other community members.
Part of a child development programme
The exercise was run under ADDRO’s early childhood development programme, “Moments That Matter”, which supports healthy motherhood and child growth from conception to age three. GNA reports the programme operates in six regions with funding from Episcopal Relief & Development, a US-based organisation.
Rev. Fr Wisdom Ayaaba Asuuga, ADDRO’s Field Officer for Integrated Early Childhood Development in Builsa North, said the activity marked Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October and was meant to help mothers and caregivers spot problems early and seek care.
Health workers urge regular checks
Midwives from the Chiana Health Centre, led by Midwifery Officer Mrs Elizabeth Howard, took participants through the signs, symptoms and risk factors of the disease, including age, family history and lifestyle. They encouraged women to examine their breasts every month, go for a clinical breast examination once a year, and report any change to a health facility without waiting for symptoms to worsen.
Some participants told GNA it was the first time they had ever been screened for breast cancer.
Background
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Ghana, and health officials have long warned that many cases are diagnosed late, when treatment is harder. Screening outreach in rural districts of the north remains limited, which makes community-based exercises such as this one an important point of first contact.
The six suspected cases have not been confirmed; they require further tests at the hospital.
Source: Ghana News Agency — https://gna.org.gh/2026/11/addro-sensitises-screens-288-women-for-breast-cancer-in-chiana/
