By Samuel Dodoo, GNA
Accra, June 12, GNA – The Fibroid Foundation, Africa (FibFA) in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has launched the first fibroid champions training programme to support and empower women affected by uterine fibroids.
The four-day training programme, which started on June 10 to June 13, 2024, in Accra, was the first major initiative in Africa to formally alert institutions and the public about their collective responsibility to help achieve the aim of helping people understand women affected by uterine fibroids.
In addition to the launching of the fibroid champions training programme, FibFA said it could not remain silent while women, particularly those in underserved communities suffered unnecessarily because of the stigma and shame associate with some of the symptoms of fibroids.
Reverend Professor Elizabeth Korasare, Executive Director of the Fibroid Foundation Africa in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the launch said it was important to promote research to understand the basic science and cellular origin of the disease among women in Africa to inform decision-making and provide holistic approach to reproductive health policies.
She said it was becoming enormous and had become imperative to improve awareness creation, campaign, and training on the importance of making early interventions towards a healthier future for women in Ghana and beyond.
Rev. Prof Korasare said as the world moved towards achieving Universal Health Coverage, the issue of fibroid should be tackled with some aggression to erode the inequalities in seeking treatment if we all appreciate the importance of the womb as a vital organ to human existence.
“Many women are desiring alternative treatment to surgery,” adding that, “One crucial aspect of our interventions is the promotion of Vitamin ‘D’ and EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) supplementation among young girls from 14 to 30 years of age.”
She said emerging research suggested that these supplements may play a role in the prevention and management of fibroids.
Rev Prof Korasare said Vitamin ‘D’ had been linked to reduced fibroid growth while EGCG, a compound found in green tea, has showed promise in clinical studies and other therapies like prekese, hence, the hope to push from currently position of surgery to prevention and management.
Activities lined up are to equip fibroid champions with the knowledge and skills necessary to raise awareness about fibroid in their communities and serve as vital resources, providing accurate information, dispelling myths, and guiding women towards timely and effective medical care, she stated.
She said the champions’ training programme was a testament to the power of collaboration and the commitment of all stakeholders, especially esteemed support from the University of Chicago for their support in making it a reality.
Dr Marion Okoh-Owusu, Director Family Health Division of the Ghana Health Service expressed gratitude to the Fibroid Foundation and the University of Chicago Global for spearheading the efforts.
“Your dedication to the cause of uterine fibroid awareness, research and advocacy is truly commendable and acknowledged the development of training manuals and flip charts for public education and the provision of technical support to get these materials done,” she said.
GNA