Obuasi Mining Alliance educates dressmakers & tailors on prostate and breast cancer

Underground Mining Alliance (UMA), a contractor of AngloGold Ashanti operating in Obuasi has extended education on breast and prostate cancer to tailors and seamstress in Obuasi.

The Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association in Obuasi were taken through ways to prevent and treat breast and prostate cancer by health professionals from AngloGold Ashanti Health Foundation (AGAHF). There was also free breast and prostate cancer screening for more than 500 people who participated in the program.

The sensitization program was part of activities to commemorate the 2024 Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Observed annually throughout October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month seeks to inculcate into women (and men), the need to screen their breasts routinely to detect the disease at a treatable stage before it becomes fatal.

The global theme for 2024 Breast Cancer Awareness Month is, “No One Should Face Breast Cancer Alone.”

According to Phillipe Pearse project manager of UMA, the company decided to involve dressmakers and tailors because of the wide range of people they interact with in the course of their operations.

“We were deliberate on choosing members of the GTDA for the education because we want them to extend the education to their clients who they meet on regular basis. We believe once the education gets down, a lot of misconceptions surrounding breast cancer especially will be cured whiles people will opt for screening for early detection”, he said.

He mentioned that Underground Mining Alliance views such education and screening exercises as a useful way of giving back to the communities they operate emphasizing that, the company years back received award for a community project in Botswana.

Recounting his personal experiences, Mr. Pearse said his parents survived both breast and prostate cancer because of early detection. ” This is the more reason why we decided to organize this sensitization and free screening program”.

Early detection saves life

Speaking to the press at the sidelines of the program, Lawrence Turkson national project manager UMA emphasized the importance of regular screening. He said early detection of breast and prostate cancer will help in the successful treatment of the disease.

He reminded that, the diseases have come to stay and part of human life but sensitizing people on them will serve as a eye opener in the effort to fight them.

The commemoration of world breast cancer day by UMA comes on the heels of a similar program last year to mark World menstrual hygiene day. According to Mr. Turkson, the company will continue to give back to the community as a fulfillment of its corporate social responsibility.

Lack of awareness

According to Bernadette Serwaah Osei Kuffour, a Senior medical officer of AngloGold Ashanti Health Foundation, though a lot of strides has been made in the fight against breast and prostate cancer over the years, lack of awareness creation has been key in hampering the fight.

She said lack of adequate information about the diseases have given way for a lot of misconceptions to fester.

“We have not been hugely successful in this fight because of insufficient awareness creation. Most people read a lot of meanings to breast and prostate cancer hence resort to other means aside medical procedures to treat the diseases”.

He lauded Underground Mining Alliance for leading the conversation around the diseases and was optimistic that the education will go a long way to encourage people to opt for early detection.

The chairperson of Zone 3 of the Obuasi chapter of the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association Irene ABA Austin commended UMA for the program. She said the nature of their job make it difficult for them to go through routine breast cancer screening but advised their members to get screened when the opportunity avails itself.