Coca-Cola Beverages Africa subsidiary Voltic helped to pump up Ghana’s breast cancer awareness drive with a donation of water to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in support of a month-long free breast screening exercise in October.
Early detection of breast cancer can dramatically increase the likelihood that a woman will survive and continue to live a healthy life, and regular self-examination and breast exams are critical in reducing deaths from the disease.
According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is detected early, and is in the localised stage, the 5-year relative survival rate is 99%.
Many breast cancer symptoms are not noticeable without a professional screening, but some symptoms can be caught early just by being proactive about breast health.
According to a 2018 article in the World Journal of Surgical Oncology, about 25% all new cancer cases among females, and 15% of cancer deaths, were due to breast cancer.
While the overall incidence in the African region was lower than in other continents except Asia, the continent ranked highest for breast cancer mortality when adjusting for it’s relatively more youthful population.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, held in October each year, encourages women to attend screenings on a regular basis to help with early detection, and Voltic donated 50 packs of water to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital as partners in the breast cancer awareness campaign. It is the second-biggest hospital in Ghana, located in the country’s second-biggest city of Kumasi.
Constance Antwi-Boasiako, from the hospital’s breast-care centre, said: “We are grateful to Voltic for their wonderful presentation to support breast cancer awareness. We were overwhelmed by this presentation and it has helped us in so many ways.”
Voltic’s Territory Manager in Kumasi, Aaron Andrew, said the donation was a symbol of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa’s commitment to create greater shared opportunity for the business and the communities it serves. “Opportunity is more than just money, it’s about a better future for people and their communities everywhere on the African continent,” said Andrew.
