Women Intensify Fibroid Awareness Campaign

…Push Its Inclusion On NHIS

By; Gifty Arthur

Some women groups, have come together to chronicle their harrowing experiences on fibroids to create more awareness on the disease, which is one of the commonest sicknesses among black women.

At a programme to commence the awareness campaign, the group, underscored the need for every black woman to make deliberate and conscious efforts to check their status as they age.

Sharing their experiences, the women, explained that the disease, if detected early, could be treated.

Kisha Bird of Travel Deeper Inc, an African-American woman now based in Ghana, who is leading the women in this endeavor, said she decided to embark on this journey of fibroids awareness campaign, because she is a survivor.

Telling her story, Kisha said, she lived with the disease for 15 years, before detecting it when she relocated to Ghana.

She said, while trying to find solution to her situation, she saw the need to speak about fibroid, because there is little education given to its prevention and treatment.

As a result of this, she said she took a bold step to join forces with others, to embark on this campaign, so they can provide education for about it, for people to seek help from the right places and at the right time.

“The reason why I took this step is because I suffered from fibroids and I didn’t know. It was when I came here to Ghana and I got an ultrasound, I was able to know what was plaguing me for 15 years, (anemia, fatigue, painful menstrual cycle). I realized that we do not talk about fibroids enough.

I also realized that the healing that can take place, takes place with stories, it takes place by getting information and awareness and so I teamed up with my dear sister here and we began this fibroids awareness campaign so that we know that women here in Ghana, women here across the world, black women can be healed through awareness and early detection and telling our own story”, she said.

She indicated that, her group’s campaign, would be sustained and they would ensure it travels not only across Ghana, but to other countries across the world.

Touching on funding, she said even though they are limited, but when it comes to financial support, they are committed to the course and therefore, called for assistance to enable them get more women screened and helped, as they intensify the awareness.

“We are expecting to go everywhere with this programme. I am an African American from the US, so I am expecting this programme to be in the US, to be in every region in Ghana, to be in Sierra Leone where my sister is from to be across the continent because we know this is an important issue that affects 70 percent of black women worldwide so how far we go is how far it takes to heal”.

“We need more support, this is a self-funded and driven campaign and we got donations from kind people and our partners are supporting, but we don’t have any massive funds and so we need to raise funds so that we can support women to take ultrasound or for the consultation.

And so, we want to be able to raise money so that we can go to every city, every village, every community, starting here in Ghana and all around the world”, she added.

Free Screening

The campaign being spearheaded by Travel Deeper, in partnership with the Fanny Five Fibroid Support Group, was launched earlier this month, and will cover the entire month.

Aside the awareness creation, the campaign, will also be used to provide free screening to support holistic wellness and well-being for women.

Fanny S. Parmer, a fibroid awareness ambassador, who told her 15-years of surviving fibroid in a book titled ‘Defeat fibroid and be free’ launched last year said, issues of fibroid, is swept under the carpet even though many women suffer from it.

Fanny, a Serra Leonean, said the campaign has had to start from Ghana, because this is where they find themselves and also want Ghanaian women to take advantage of the opportunity.

She reiterated her call on government to, include fibroid treatment on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) so that as many women as possible, both in the city and in the rural areas, are able to go for screening and also treat themselves, if detected.

“That is one of my advocacy campaign I started it last year but they said it is partial treatment it must be complete treatment so I am using this opportunity to call on government, the ministry of health, the minister of women to ensure that fibroids treatment be included. All the treatment including screening, medication, surgery. Once you show up in the hospital let the NHIS cover them. More research needs to be done because now young people are having fibroid”.

Dr Caroline Ladzekpo, a gynecologist at Plus Medical Center in Accra said, about 70 percent of the world’s black women population, have developed fibroid, highlighting the need for them to seek early screening, as it can be treated.

Dr Ladzekpo, dispelled rumors that women who undergone fibroid surgery, cannot have babies.

She said, having babies after surgery is very possible, but advised that women give birth early and also watch their lifestyle.

“Some fear operation because they feel they cannot have children after that, but that is not the case. Visit the hospital and seek help. Preventive measure is that don’t delay childbirth, lifestyle sleep well, eat well and exercise. At least, 30-minute walk everyday is fine. Visit your gynecologist every year to examine you”, she advised.

Source: Anchorghana.com