By Samira Larbi
Accra, Feb. 05, GNA – The Africa Cancer Foundation (ACF) says it is not offering free breast cancer surgeries this year.
It had therefore urged the public to disregard messages going viral on social media that it is offering free breast cancer surgeries to 200 women as it was out-of-date.
“Unfortunately, there are no free surgeries being offered this year as the funding is not there. The message being circulated is out-of-date and no longer relevant,” it stated in a press statement.
“This misinformation has highlighted the huge burden of cancer treatment that cancer patients face everywhere with requests coming in for screening, diagnostic support, treatment and management of all types of cancers,” says Wairimu Mwaura, Programmes Co-ordinator.
It said: “We want to inform the public that we are actively looking for funding to progress with this programme but there is no funding in place. Once funding is secured, we will communicate this information on all our social media platforms.”
It urged the public to follow @africacancerfoundation on Instagram and Facebook and AfriCF on Twitter for more information as we release it.
A press statement issued indicated that early in 2022, the ACF sent out a Whatsapp message inviting 200 breast cancer patients to sign up for FREE breast cancer surgeries.
It said the message sent out by ACF’s Board Member Mrs Dorothy Nyong’o read as follows: “Once again this year we are doing 200 free breast cancer operations.
If you know anyone who needs breast surgery, it’s free of charge, including hospital stay. Please forward the name of the patient before March 7 to Dorothy Nyong’o.”
It said ACF were inundated with requests and were able to offer the surgeries to 200 women in dire need of help.
However, in February 2024, the message has been resurrected on the internet by an unknown source and has now gone viral.
Starting in Kenya, the message was then circulated in Nigeria, Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Burundi, Canada and Tanzania, with translations in Kiswahili and French.
It said the ACF had now had over 20,000 requests for cancer care through emails, Whatsapp, SMS texts, social media DMs and even visits to their offices.
GNA