GoldBod Deepens Support for Mining Communities with Breast Cancer Screening Exercise at Asankragua

The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Unit, has organised a breast cancer screening exercise for residents of Asankragua in the Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region as part of activities marking Pink October.

The exercise, held on Thursday, October 8, is part of GoldBod’s initiative to provide breast cancer screening for residents, particularly women, in selected mining communities.

The Asankragua Government Hospital supported the exercise with health professionals who conducted breast cancer screening, general vital checks, HIV testing and syphilis screening.

The Amenfi West Municipal Health Insurance office also facilitated free health insurance registration for beneficiaries following an intervention by the area’s Member of Parliament, Hon. Dr. Eric Afful.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Head of GoldBod’s CSR Unit, Madam Roselyn Bonaparte, said supporting mining communities through social interventions remained an important part of the Board’s responsibilities.

She explained that mining communities were key stakeholders in GoldBod’s operations, making their health and well-being an important consideration in the Board’s community support initiatives.

The Municipal Health Director, Mr. Daniel Tetteh-Agudey, emphasised the importance of awareness and early detection, noting that the exercise was intended to encourage people to seek medical attention when they noticed changes in their breasts.

The Member of Parliament, Hon. Dr. Eric Afful, expressed gratitude to GoldBod for bringing the initiative to the municipality.

He also urged men to take breast cancer awareness seriously, noting that they could also develop the disease.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Madam Priscilla Yorke, encouraged women to overcome fear, stigma and misinformation surrounding breast cancer.

“Let us encourage those affected and ensure that no woman suffers in silence,” she said.

The main speaker, public health specialist and researcher Professor Kojo Yeboah-Antwi, highlighted the importance of early detection in improving treatment outcomes, urging both men and women to prioritise screening.

“Early action, better outcomes,” he stressed; urging the community to embrace screening beyond the breast since cancer can affect all parts of the body.

Chairperson for the occasion, Nana Adu Boahen, Gyasihene of the Asankragua Divisional Council, commended the initiative and called for breast cancer awareness campaigns to target the entire community, rather than women alone.

The exercise underscores GoldBod’s commitment to supporting the welfare of mining communities through interventions that complement its core mandate in the gold sector.