The Women’s Commission of the University Student Association of Ghana (USAG) has stepped up the early detection for breast cancer campaigns sending the education to Senior High Schools.

The student body which is primarily set up as a mouthpiece for tertiary students is working with the Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (FGMSA) to ensure that young girls are aware of breast cancers as the world marks World Breast Cancer Month in October.

The campaign saw a massive turnout at the St Louis Senior High School in the Oforikrom Municipality of the Ashanti Region where organizers were compelled to break the sessions into two to accommodate the numbers.

The girls were enlightened about the risk factors, prevalence rates, symptoms of breast cancer, and myths about the disease and how to conduct self-breast examinations.

Women’s Commissioner for USAG Amtu Akumfi-Ameyaw indicated that though the primary responsibility of USAG is to the Universities, it was important to take a step back when it involved matters that had expansive repercussions beyond university students.

She explained, “Our jurisdiction is the university students but these students will be joining us anytime soon. They don’t pay attention to these things because they are younger but when they have the education early enough, it will help them to seek treatment and avoid risk factors before they enter university where someone might be in advanced stage of breast cancer,”

As of the end of 2020, 7.8 million women were living with breast cancer making it the world’s most prevalent cancer. 2.3 million Women were diagnosed with breast cancer in the year 2020 with 685 000 dying globally in the same year.

The National President of the Federation of Ghana Medical Students Association FGMSA Darielle Adjoa Addison pointed out that though the disease was rarely diagnosed among women below twenty-five, it was imperative that the students were empowered with knowledge to seek medical interventions as early as they saw any lesions in their breasts.

“70% of breast cases are determined at the advanced stages which is very terrible. Now they have learnt to do self-breast examination so that they can detect it very early. Those who are at high risk now know themselves and they know why to examine themselves at least every month,” she noted.

Head girl for the St Louis SHS Maria Daniela Serwaa Bonsu was grateful to USAG for pointing the student body to certain developments and behavioral patterns that they hitherto would have ignored.

She pointed out: “Several students were interested in the issues of wearing their bra multiple times and ignoring discharges from their nipples. There are things they used to do that I know they are no longer going to.”

A teacher and SRC Patron for the School, Emil Ameyibor was optimistic the students will become peer educators and step down the education to their friends, families and communities to support the national effort at halting the devastating scourge of breast cancer.

The sensitization forum was followed up with free screening for as many girls as were willing to avail themselves of the process.

The next stop for the University Students Association of Ghana and its partners will be the University of Ghana.