Philanthropist, Elorm Beenie champions prostate cancer awareness in Hlefi Community*
The initiative is geared towards educating men on the type of cancer that is silently killing elderly men due to lack of knowledge, early diagnosis, and treatment.
He kicked started the campaign with a screening and education exercise in Hlefi in the Ho West District of the Volta Region, to mark his birthday (which fell on March 21).
Speaking on the birthday Charity Project, he said that “the alarming rate of prostate cancer deaths informed his decision to embark on the campaign to prevent men from suffering preventable deaths.”
He said the campaign would be extended nationwide when the resources are mobilized to ensure that a substantial amount of men benefit from it to enrich their knowledge to safeguard themselves.
“Hopefully this won’t be the first of its kind. I intend to get the support so that I can do it in different parts of the region and the country as well”, Elorm Beenie added.
Mr. Beenie revealed that a component of the prostate cancer campaign would be counseling men to develop the habit of speaking up when they experience societal difficulty by breaking from the shackles of the fear of being stereotyped.
This he said is targeted at reducing suicide cases among men in Ghana, through a partnership with professionals and stakeholders.
“Most suicide cases according to the statistics that I have seen, come from men. And all these things stem from so many issues from depression among others. So it is about time men have a renewed mindset, whereby we can engage in conversations on what is worrying them”, he explained further.
The lead of the medical team for the screening exercise, Bridget Letsa, who is a registered nurse said that prostate cancer, which is the abnormal development of cells in the prostate, is the second-leading cancer disease killing men.
She said the high rate of death was due to a lack of awareness, leading men to only access healthcare when the cancer is at an advanced stage and expensive to treat.
“Much attention has not been given to prostate cancer mostly due to several cancers, because when you hear of breast cancer, which is prevalent in men and women, a lot of attention has been given to it. But when it comes to men, prostate cancer is a topic that most often we don’t talk about. But it is good that it is coming up now because it is a silent killer”, she said.
She added that cancer when detected early can be treated with the use of medication, and injections, but late diagnosis would demand surgery due to the advanced stage of the cancer cells.
She said that though patients report late with their conditions, they reject treatments through surgery, which includes removing the testicles, for the fear of losing their sexuality, and opt for medication and injections which cost between about GhC2,500 and GhC12,000 monthly.
She called on men to have themselves screened annually after 40 years, especially those with a family history of prostate cancer, or take advantage of the prostate cancer awareness month of September and get screened.
“I want to tell our men that it is prudent they take care of their health. Men always want to be men, they want to be strong. But then when it comes to certain conditions, being strong is not helpful. Because the earlier you detect it, the better for us. So I want to plead with our men, that when they notice any changes in urination, if they notice any changes in their health, they shouldn’t hesitate to go to the hospital”, she said.
A member of the Hlefi Development Association, Edwin Addae, appreciated the efforts of Mr. Beenie to address the pressing health needs of men, as the focus had been mainly on women.
“This is a novelty, we have never seen this before. We are very grateful to Elorm Beenie. On behalf of the community and all who benefited, we appreciate the initiative”, he said.
He appealed to indigenes of Hlefi living outside the community to contribute their quota towards the development and well-being of their relatives back home.
All beneficiaries who were diagnosed with symptoms of prostate cancer were provided with some medication and advised to seek early treatment. They also received free massage sessions.
The event was partnered by The Urology Yub Ghana, Inspire Rural Development Africa, Twellium Ghana Limited (Verna Mineral Water), Salaria Eyemed, Salaria Transport Services, Deepfresh Seafoods, Estate Kitchen (Ho), Hill View Restaurant (Ho), Events 21, Beenie Words, Selaviv Records, Shugga Creatives, Swiss Angels Foundation, Elike Foundation, Hlefi Development Group, and some individuals who donated to support the cause.
