WHAT IS BREAST CANCER

Breast cancer is the abnormal growth of malignant cells in the breast. The abnormal cells spread through the rest of the body through the lymphatic system. Breast cancer is the leading cancer amongst women and the second cause of cancer related deaths amongst women.

1 out of every 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their life time.

STATISTICS

In the year 2020, 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer globally with a total of 685,000 deaths.

In Ghana, there were 4,482 diagnoses in the year 2020 with 2,055 deaths.

RISK FACTORS LEADING TO BREAST CANCER

• Being a woman
• Age
• Family history of breast cancer
• Previous history of breast cancer
• Obesity
• Alcohol intake
• Smoking
• Lack of exercise

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• Lump or swelling in the breast, upper chest or armpit
• A change in the skin such as puckering, thickening or dimpling
• Change in the colour of the breast
• Abnormal discharge from the nipple
• Changes in the size and shape of the breast

PREVENTION OF BREAST CANCER

• Limit alcohol intake
• Quit smoking
• Maintain healthy weight
• Breastfeed
• Exercise and physical activities
• Monthly self-breast examination

 BREAST CANCER IS PREVENTABLE, EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES!!!

As part of the activities to achieve the project objectives, The GARID community sensitisation team made up of NADMO officer, Gender desk officer, officer from SW/CD, MEHO on the 4th October 2023 engaged community members around flood prone areas within the Ayawaso Central Municipality.
The purpose was to educate residents around these areas on the need to keep their surroundings clean and desist from damping of refuse in drains.
Caution was also given to residents on moving to safe haven in the event of flooding.

More than 800 million people are going hungry yet almost one third of food grown and what we produce is lost or wasted. Meanwhile conflict, weather extremes and economic shocks are causing production and supply chain issues that leave food systems vulnerable by transforming how food is grown, produced and consumed, we can create secure, sustainable and resilient food systems. It is in this light that the Department of Agriculture is promoting home garden for our Schools and households to grow what they eat and eat what they grow.

AGENDA
1. To encourage individuals to grow their own crops to consume
2. To encourage individuals generate alternative source of income
3. To promote organic foods consumption
4. To encourage eating healthy, quality and wholesome vegetables consumption.
5. To sensitize students on agriculture and benefits
BENEFICIARIES
NAME LOCATION TOTAL NUMBER OF SEEDLINGS TOTAL
Emmanuel Aikins Alajo North 15 15
Madam Julliet Ebony 20 20
Kotobabi Cluster of Schools Kotobabi 50 50
Elizabeth Nketiah Abavana Down 25 25
Hon Alex Twumasi Kpehe 20 20
Bethel Yaw Asare Kokomlemle 35 35
David Tetteh Alajo 20 20
Selassie Yaotse Carlos Plant pool 15 15
Jacob Faati Abavana 25 25
TOTAL 225

CHALLENGES
1. Inadequate funds to construct a nursery shed to raise more seedlings.
2. Inadequate funds to purchase black soils for container gardening
3. Inadequate funds to purchase pesticides and compost for beneficiaries.
4. Inadequate containers to supply to individuals who are interested in the home gardening.
5. Inadequate space for expansion.

RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Provision of funds to construct a nursery shed to raise seedlings
2. Provision of funds to purchase black soils for container gardeners
3. Provision of enough funds to purchase pesticides and fertilizers
4. Provision of enough containers to supply to individuals

The Community Development Department at the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly in collaboration with Ghana Fire Service and the Office of the Assembly member for Kokomlemle West engaged students at De Youngsters on the roles of boys and girls and Fire Safety Management.

The exercise was to make students understand that most household chores were not gender based and also guide them with what each gender does at home and school
The students identified which chore is on a placard and the gender that does it. Some of the chores mentioned were sweeping, weeding, washing, cooking, etcetera.
The students were then taught that irrespective of their gender, they could do any chore given to them by their parents.

The GNFS on the other hand spoke on Fire Safety Management. Fire was explained as a chemical combination of three (3) elements which are heat, fuel and oxygen. Fuel was then explained as anything that can burn.
The officers mentioned that when there’s a fire outbreak, one element has to be eliminated before it can be quenched.
They further taught students on the different classes of fire which were
• Class A- Solid
• Class B- Liquid
• Class C- Gaseous
• Class E- Electrical

Again there were lessons on the procedure to help detect leakage on a tube by using soapy water.
The exercise ended with a fire demonstration.
There were 189 students and 10 teachers present.

The Ayawaso central municipal Assembly on the 18th of August, 2023 donated some items to the Ga chiefs in the municipality ahead of the Homowo festival celebrations.

This initiative is to extend the Assembly’s support to the Ga community of the Municipality as they celebrate their victory on abundant harvest which has eradicated hunger.

Statistics from the Ministry of Trade and Industry estimated that, the country spent $9.3 million and $65,000 on annual importation of onions and chilli pepper respectively between the years 2013 and 2015. 

It is also on record that, Ghana produces about 400 thousand metric tonnes of tomato annually, that notwithstanding, Ghana imports about 75 thousand metric tonnes of fresh tomatoes annually from Burkina Faso, and a furthermore large quantities of tomato puree to complement the fresh ones; making it the most widely consumed vegetable in the country.

Reasons for this huge deficit include poor irrigation system and pest infestation among others.

Greenhouse Technology for vegetable production has however been proposed as the panacea to these challenges. To that effect, the Department of Agriculture of the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly organized a field trip for crop farmers in the Municipality to the Greenhouse Village at Dawhenya on the 27^th July, 2023 to learn about this technology.

The newly confirmed Municipal Chief Executive – Hon. Archibold Cobbinah has paid a working visit to the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Mallam Atta Market on Thursday 27th July 2023.

He embarked on this working visit in the company of the newly posted Municipal Coordinating Director, Ishmael Nana Ogyefo and some Heads of Department and Units after his maiden Management Meeting.

Hon. Archibold Cobbinah used this working visit to ascertain the various activities and challenges in the various markets.The MCE assured the traders of further engagements and collaborations to enhance their business environment.

The Team also visited the Circle Police Station, where the MCE was received by the Station Master who assured of their readiness in maintaining law and order to protect lives and properties within the enclave.

At the Mallam Atta Market Hon. Archibold engaged some market women and assured them of further engagements by the Assembly to ascertain and embark their prevailing challenges and deploy interventions aimed at revamping the Market. He also paid a brief visit to the Mallam Atta Clinic.

Hon. Archibold ended his tour with an appreciation message to his team members and called on them to be prepared to make sacrifices in the interest of the Municipality.

A new MCE, Hon Archibald M.A Cobbina the president’s nominee, has been confirmed massively by the Assembly members of Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly after the old one, Hon. Alhaji Mohammed Ababio Quaye resigned.

16 out of 17 Assembly Members who turned out to vote at the Ayawaso Central Municipal Health/Education Directorate at Kotobabi in Accra unanimously confirmed Mr. Archibald Cobbina.

He was nominated by His Excellency, the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo as a result of the resignation of the former Chief Executive due to some health challenges.

In his acceptance speech, the MCE Elect, Mr. Archibald Cobbina said ‘’patience is indeed a virtue and humility is also a virtue’’.

He first and foremost expressed his gratitude to the Almighty God and then to the president of Ghana for nominating him.

He was grateful to the Assembly Members of Ayawaso Central for unanimously confirming him.

The chiefs of Ayawaso Central were not left out as he expressed his gratitude towards their massive support for him.

Touching on his responsibilities, he promised to carry the municipality to the height we are all expecting it to be. He mentioned that he was aware of the challenges that the municipality is facing and promised therefore that, with determination, nothing is too difficult to be done.

“Revenue mobilization will be a top priority, we will employ needful digitalization to collect revenue for the assembly”, he said.

He also touched on sanitation by saying that we will work to make sure that the municipality is clean always.

He concluded by saying that a collective effort is required from both the Assembly members and the staff to achieve this aim.

The outgoing MCE, Hon. Alhaji Mohammed Ababio Quaye also expressed his gratitude to the president for his support and trust as the former MCE.

He was also grateful to the Assembly members and staff for their masive support for him during his tenure of office as MCE of Ayawaso Central.

He expressed confidence in his successor, the newly elected MCE, Hon. Archibald Cobbina of what he is capable of doing to make the Assemby move forward’’. Alhaji Mohammed Quaye assured his successor of his readiness to contribute in any way to assist in the development of Ayawaso Central Municipality.

‘’I look forward to the bright future that lies ahead in the leadership of Mr. Archibald M. A. Cobbinah MCE’’ the former MCE ended.

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso Central, Hon. Henry Quartey eulogized the former MCE, describing him as one of the stalwarts of the party who had worked for the party since 1969.

The Regional Minister expressed his admiration for the former MCE and said that it was unusual for people occupying such highly prestigious positions to resign in the event of any challenges they may be facing; that he said he has won the hearts of many including himself. He said, “on this day, I have a lot of respect, admiration and love for him”.

Hon. Quartey also stated that the confirmed MCE, Hon. Archibald Cobbina was capable of continuing and adding to the footprint of the former MCE, Hon. Alhaji Mohammed Quaye, following his contribution to the NPP at the constituency for decades and therefore has to be supported by all the Assembly members and the constituents to achieve his vision.

                                                                                              Report by:

                                                                                            Ivy N. A. A. Quansah

                                                                                       (Municipal Information Officer)