The ‘Kick Out Cancer’ Campaign provides breast cancer education and screening to women aged 20 and above in communities across the country.

Those who go on to receive a positive diagnosis will be offered treatment at hospitals, including BCI’s Peace and Love Hospitals, and supportive counselling.

 “Healthcare provision is one of the pillars of our community engagement strategy,” says  Nicolas Ferri, Delta’s vice president, adding that “We’re proud of the work we have done with BCI over the past six years and look forward to raising more awareness and facilitating treatment for women and men diagnosed with breast cancer in Ghana over the next 12 months.”

Since 2005, Delta’s global efforts to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month have raised more than $20 million, which had funded over 80 research projects for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Headquartered in Atlanta and powered by employees around the world, Delta, Mr Ferri said, had for a decade led the airline industry in operational excellence while maintaining its reputation for award-winning customer service.

He said nothing was more important than the health and safety of its customers and employees, adding that since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta had moved quickly to transform the industry standard to ensure a safe and comfortable travel experience for customers and employees. 

 “With our mission of connecting the people and cultures of the globe, Delta strives to foster understanding,” he stated.

The Executive Director of BCI, Dr Beatrice Wiafe-Addai said the NGO had organised community outreach programmes in communities since 2002 to educate and improve knowledge, change attitudes, and promote the importance of early detection of breast cancer.

Breast cancer screenings by way of clinical breast examinations were also offered free of charge at each screening session.

“Our partnership with Delta Air Lines to organise free countrywide breast cancer awareness programme, is to rid low income earning communities of the intolerable levels of breast cancer cases.

“This initiative, which supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for ‘Good Health’ is driven by a passion for women in these communities to receive the much needed breast care education, and by extension, counseling, and treatment,” she said.

According to her, data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that at 2.26 million, there were more new cases of breast cancer worldwide in 2020 than any other type of cancer.

 The WHO’s Globocan 2020 study found that breast cancer was also the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Ghana with more than 4,400 new cases. This was 18.7 per cent of all cancer diagnoses.