The Aroma Universal Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has organised a comprehensive breast and prostate cancer screening and treatment awareness programme alongside general health checks for more than 2,000 residents in Takoradi.
The initiative, which included free medication and snacks, also screened participants for hypertension, blood pressure, sugar levels, and other ailments.
The annual health screening exercise, now in its eighth year, is sponsored by North Chemists and Tobinco Pharmacy, with support from First Samuel Supermarket and Son Supermarket.
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Madam Monica Dede Odonkor, Executive Director of the Foundation, highlighted that many residents were unaware they were living with serious conditions, prompting the organisation to bring healthcare services directly to communities.
Madam Dede Odonkor emphasised the Foundation’s focus on neonatal jaundice, revealing that visits to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital had helped save many children under one month old.
She called on oil-producing companies in the Western Region to support the purchase of photo-therapy machines to treat neonatal jaundice, citing inadequate existing resources.
Dr Simon Osei-Frimpong, Medical Director at the Kwesimintsim Government Hospital, stressed that breast cancer, hypertension, and diabetes were increasingly prevalent in Africa, noting that early detection through screening, scanning, and mammograms was crucial.
He added that breast cancer could affect men, women, and children, and pledged that hospital public health units would intensify awareness campaigns.
Pastor David Arku, Board Chairman of the Aroma Universal Foundation, highlighted the NGO’s contributions to financing surgeries for vulnerable populations, providing scholarships for needy but brilliant students, and supporting orphans and widows to promote a holistic society.
Nana Ayeribi Acquah Kofi III, Chief of Gomoa Nkran and mother of the Executive Director, appealed to the government to financially partner with NGOs to expand the screening exercises to three times a year, thereby enhancing early detection and treatment of critical diseases.
