By
Samira Larbie, GNA
Accra, Jan. 25, GNA –
Mrs Samira Bawumia, the Second Lady of Ghana, has launched a national cervical
cancer campaign with the commissioning of ‘Cervical Cancer Ambassadors’ to
create awareness on the deadly disease.
The ambassadors made
up of journalists selected from various media houses have a mission to drive
home the message of preventing cervical cancer.
The ambassadors will
also sustain the fight of creating public awareness of cervical cancer beyond
January 2020.
The campaign is
organized by the Society of Obstetricians Gynaecologist of Ghana (SOGOG) in
collaboration with Samira Empowerment Humanitarian (SEHP) and other
stakeholders.
It is on the theme:
“Cervical Cancer Prevention: a Call to Action.”
The human papilloma
virus (HPV) which causes cervical cancer is acquired through skin to skin
contact with someone who has the virus during sexual intercourse.
Once infected, the
virus could stay in the host for about 10 to 15 years before symptoms starts to
show.
Symptoms of the
disease include offensive discharge from the vagina, blood flow after normal
menstrual period, during or after sexual intercourse and women in their
menopausal age who bleed, prolonged back pains, loss of weight among others.
Cervical cancer is
the second most frequent occurring cancer in women after breast cancer and
common cause of cancer related deaths among women in developing countries.
Current estimates in
Ghana indicates that every year 3,151 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer
and 2, 119 die from the disease.
It is common in
women and girls who are sexually active.
Deaths due to
cervical cancer are projected to rise by almost 25 per cent over the next 10
years hence the need for the campaign to allow for more screening.
The Second Lady,
also the Patron of cervical cancer prevention commended SOGOG for the campaign
and asked that men also be screened.
She said cervical
cancer is a public health issue and therefore requires a national response.
No woman should die
of cervical cancer because the disease is preventable, added.
She expressed
gratitude to stakeholders especially Marie Stopes for the support they are
rendering to women and girls in that regard.
The Deputy Minister
of health, Mr Justice Abban, urged health professionals to find ways of
ensuring that cervical cancer screening is made free.
Cervical cancer
screening on a normal day goes for GH¢150.00 but have been reduced to GH¢80.00
due to the campaign to have more women screened.
The HPV vaccination,
which goes for Gh¢300.00 has also been reduced to Gh¢200.00 to allow more women
go for vaccination for preventive measures.
He called on the
Public Health team of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to sustain the momentum of
the awareness creation to have an all year round campaign with tangible
results.
Dr Ali Samba, the
President of SOGOG, commended the efforts of nongovernmental organizations and
the media for creating public awareness on cervical cancer.
He said a lot of
efforts and resources have gone into reducing mortality from pregnancy related
complications which is commendable but not same for cancer of the cervix.
Dr Samba noted that
the need for central coordination in the fight against cervical cancer has
become necessary.
Implementation has
become one of the challenges and therefore SOGOG is in partnership with state
agencies to implement strategies and recommendations to ensure women with
cervical cancer are well taken of, he said.
“The talking
have gone on for far too long and the need to come together to take actionable
steps to help these poor and vulnerable women,” he added.
Dr Edward T Dassah,
a Lecturer at the School of Public Health Kwame Nkrumah University of Science
and Technology (KNUST), called for an increase in cervical cancer screening to
allow early detection.
He called for an
organized screening programme rather than the opportunistic or the sporadic
ones.
This he said would
help in achieving the target population.
Stakeholders in
their solidarity messages pledged their support in the campaign on cervical
cancer.
GNA