By Darling Maame Efua Cann
Long before many of us understood the rules of the road, a nursery rhyme taught us to pay attention to colour. Red meant stop. Yellow meant get ready. Green meant go.
The lesson travelled home with us. A few words, a little melody, and something important stayed in our minds: when a signal appears, we have a part to play.
Every October, another colour asks for our attention.
Pink appears on ribbons, shirts, office doors and social media pages. People walk together, share messages and gather for breast health activities. For a month, a small ribbon carries a very large conversation.
Perhaps we could borrow the spirit of that childhood lesson:
When you see the pink ribbon, there is something you should know and do…
Know what the colour represents. Understand the message it carries. Then take a step that makes the message useful.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, often called Pink October. It provides an opportunity to deepen understanding, encourage timely diagnosis and strengthen support for people affected by the disease.
For 2026, the World Health Organization’s global theme is “Every story is unique, every journey matters.” It reminds us that each diagnosis belongs to a person with particular fears, hopes and needs. Everyone deserves dignity, support and access to appropriate care.
Ghana’s national theme, “Early Action, Better Outcomes,” brings that message into everyday decisions: recognise unusual changes, seek assessment promptly and ensure that diagnosis leads to treatment. Together, the themes invite us to listen carefully and act early.
In Ghana, the need is substantial. The United Nations in Ghana reports an estimated 5,487 new breast cancer cases and 2,695 deaths in 2024. Behind those figures are people whose lives, relationships and plans have been interrupted.
There is the appointment someone must find money to attend. The relative wondering what to say. The colleague who needs time away from work. The household trying to keep ordinary life moving through extraordinary uncertainty.
That is where knowing must lead to doing.
First, we need to recognise what deserves attention. The World Health Organization identifies warning signs such as a lump or thickening, a change in breast shape or size, skin dimpling, a nipple that changes appearance, or unusual discharge, particularly blood. A lump may be painless. Most breast lumps are not cancer, but an unusual lump still needs medical assessment. Waiting for pain can delay that assessment.
The useful lesson is simple: a change deserves an answer.
That answer should come from a qualified health professional. A neighbour’s reassurance, an internet photograph or someone else’s experience cannot establish what a breast change means.
We should also retire the comforting assumption that breast cancer only visits families that have encountered it before. The WHO notes that most women diagnosed have no known family history. Men can develop breast cancer too, although this is uncommon. Nobody should dismiss an unusual breast change merely because the disease seems unlikely to affect them.
The American Cancer Society encourages familiarity with how your breasts normally look and feel, so you can notice changes. However, checking yourself cannot confirm that you are free of cancer or replace recommended screening. Discuss your age, family history and appropriate screening options with a health professional. If you notice a change, seek assessment rather than waiting for the next screening campaign.
Pink October should also help us speak about treatment with greater care.
The US National Cancer Institute explains that breast cancer treatment varies. Depending on the disease and the individual, it may involve surgery, radiotherapy, medicines or a combination of approaches. Early diagnosis matters, and access to appropriate treatment must follow it.
Hope has a place in this conversation. So does honesty. We should encourage people without promising outcomes that no campaign slogan can guarantee. A person whose cancer progresses has not failed a test of courage, faith or positive thinking.
Every journey matters, including the difficult ones.
There is another responsibility we sometimes overlook: making it possible to act on the information we share.
“Go and get checked” becomes more useful when someone knows where to go, what an assessment may involve and how to follow up. Campaign organisers should provide clear referral information. Employers can make time for appointments. Families can help with transport, childcare or company in a waiting room.
A ribbon can begin the conversation; practical support helps carry it forward.
For churches, mosques, markets, community groups and workplaces, the opportunity is close at hand. Make space for accurate information in familiar languages. Invite qualified professionals to answer questions. Protect privacy. Ask permission before sharing a patient’s story or photograph.
People receiving treatment deserve control over how much of their experience becomes public.
When we celebrate survivors, let us remember those still receiving treatment, those living with advanced disease and families grieving someone they loved. They belong within the circle of care.
The traffic light lesson stayed with us because it connected a colour to an action.
Let pink do the same.
Know the signs, and seek qualified care when something changes. Know that treatment takes support, and ask what help you can offer. Know that every story matters, and listen without judgement.
When October ends, the ribbons may come down. Appointments, treatment and the need for companionship will continue.
When you see the pink ribbon, there is something you should know and do. Learn what it means. Let that knowledge move you to act.
The writer is the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and a staff member of the Information Services Department.
