Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai (Ghana) -
#RFLD #AfricanWomenSolutions spotlights selected African women leaders across Climate & Environment, Health & Social Impact, Economic Justice, and Democratic Participation.
Short Bio: Dr. Beatrice is Ghana's first female specialist general surgeon and a pioneering breast cancer advocate. She is the founder and CEO of Peace and Love Hospitals in both Accra and Kumasi, and the founder and president of Breast Care International (BCI), established in 2002. With over 30 years of medical experience since 1989, she has become Africa's leading champion in breast cancer awareness, detection, and treatment. She is currently the Chairperson of the Ghana Cancer Board.
The Problem They Identified: Dr. Addai witnessed a devastating reality: in Ghana, over 4,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually, and nearly half will die. The majority of patients present with advanced-stage cancer due to myths, misconceptions, lack of awareness, and delayed reporting. Many women believed that painless lumps were harmless or sought treatment from prayer groups and herbalists instead of medical facilities. The turning point came when a 41-year-old woman arrived at her hospital with cancer that had already protruded through her skin, her eyes pleading not to die and leave her young children behind.
The Solution They Created: Dr. Addai created a multi-pronged approach to combat breast cancer:
Peace and Love Hospitals: Established specialized facilities in Accra and Kumasi serving as resource centers for diagnosis, treatment, counseling, rehabilitation, and research for breast cancer, cervical cancer, hepatitis infections, and renal dialysis.
Breast Care International (BCI): Founded in 2002 to intensify public awareness, particularly in remote communities. The organization conducts free screenings, educational campaigns, and early detection programs, reaching thousands of women across Ghana.
BCI Ghana Walk for the Cure: An annual awareness event that attracts over 30,000 participants from Ghana and beyond, transforming cities into "seas of pink and white."
Innovative Technology: Introduced CoreView™, a breakthrough diagnostic device developed in collaboration with UC Davis and University of Washington that delivers tissue-based diagnosis within 10 minutes after biopsy—revolutionary in a country where pathology results typically take weeks or months.
Medication Access Program: Partnered with Teva Pharmaceuticals and Direct Relief since 2022 to provide free cancer treatment medications. In 2024 alone, about 2,350 women received treatment through this program, with over one million doses donated (valued at $4.4M).
Community Education: Organizes outreach missions on weekends to churches, women's groups, schools, and communities, answering basic questions and dispelling myths about breast cancer.
The Impact So Far:
Hundreds of women healed from breast cancer and related diseases through her medical interventions
Over 2,350 women treated in 2024 alone through the Teva medication access program
More than one million medication doses donated since 2022 (valued over $4.4M)
13 editions of the BCI Walk for the Cure completed, with the 2025 edition expecting 30,000 participants
Thousands of women screened for free across Ghana
Ghana leading the world in rapid bedside breast cancer diagnosis with CoreView™ technology
Building a comprehensive $100 million cancer treatment center
Created Africa's largest breast cancer survivor association
Quote or Call-to-Action: "This is more than just an event. It's a movement. It's a family. It's survivorship, its hope in motion. Breast cancer affects not only individuals and their families but has far-reaching implications on communities and national development. Breast cancer is curable, preventable, and survivable if detected early."
"You cannot explain how people feel when they receive these medications, people who had no hope. It gives them life, it gives their families hope, and it gives us, as doctors, the strength to continue."