The Nsawam Female Prison’s female inmates and officials participated in a Breast Cancer Sensitisation and Screening Exercise organised by Hon. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP), as part of events honouring Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
In addition to providing care and support to women in correctional facilities, the exercise sought to increase awareness of early identification and prevention of breast cancer.
In her speech, the minister reaffirmed the government’s dedication to advancing social inclusion and gender equality in all spheres of life.
In order to raise awareness, encourage early detection, and offer support to individuals impacted by the disease, October has been designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month worldwide since 1985, she noted.
“The theme for this year’s celebration, ‘Catch it Early, Treat it Right, and Survive it,’ reminds us that early detection, proper treatment, and sustained awareness are the three vital pillars that save lives,” she noted.
The Minister underlined that the battle against breast cancer is a national development and social welfare issue that impacts livelihoods, families, and communities, going beyond health.
“Our gathering here today is not just another ceremonial observation,” she said. “It is a call to action and an urgent reminder that breast cancer is not only a medical condition, but a social concern that affects us all.”
Even though breast cancer is still one of the top causes of cancer-related fatalities among Ghanaian women, many of these deaths can be avoided, according to Hon. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey.
She urged the public to get over the stigma, fear, cultural beliefs, and financial obstacles that keep women from getting medical care, saying that “When breast cancer is detected early, treated, and properly managed, survival rates increase dramatically,”
She also urged decision-makers, medical professionals, civil society, and the media to “break these barriers by raising awareness, expanding access to affordable screening, and ensuring that treatment and care are delivered with dignity and compassion.”
As part of this year’s national commemoration, which was formally launched on October 1, 2025, by the Vice President of the Republic, H.E. Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman, the Minister also emphasised the Ministry’s cooperation with the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, and other important stakeholders to offer free screening and register vulnerable individuals on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
As part of the visit, the Minister gave the detainees a variety of gifts, including food, bottled and sachet water, sanitary pads, soap, and soft beverages, and donated an undisclosed sum of money to help an ongoing project at the prison.
She clarified that the donation was made in support of the prisoners’ welfare and dignity as well as an act of love and solidarity with them.
The Minister also toured the prison’s fish pond and poultry farm, praising the staff and convicts for their diligence and creativity in creating sustainable livelihood projects that supply the institution with food.
As part of their recovery and reintegration process, she urged them to continue these fruitful pursuits.
She emphasised the value of funding prevention rather than treatment and restated the Ministry’s dedication to promoting women’s health, gender equality, and social protection.
“Let us all become advocates in our homes, workplaces, and communities to spread the message: ‘Catch it early, treat it right, and survive it.’ Together, we can build a Ghana where no woman or man dies from breast cancer.”
The exercise is a component of the Ministry’s larger initiatives to combat breast cancer by ensuring that no woman, family, or community is left behind.
Source: newsthemegh.com