Ghana faces increase in cervical cancer cases

Ghana is grappling with a severe cervical cancer crisis, with a staggering mortality rate of 50%.

Each year, nearly 4,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and over 2,000 succumb to the disease. This alarming situation has prompted the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to call for urgent action, emphasizing the need for increased awareness, more screening centers, and greater funding for public health interventions to combat this deadly trend.

Dr. Efua Commeh, the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Program Manager at GHS, highlighted the dire state of cervical cancer in the country.

“The situation is not good. We record almost 4,000 cases of cervical cancer annually and lose more than 2,000 of them. This high mortality rate is due to late detection,” Dr. Commeh stated.

She explained that many patients do not associate early symptoms with cancer and often receive misdiagnoses, leading to late-stage detection.

“Over 75% of our cases are reported in stages three or four, where treatment options are limited,” she said.

Dr. Commeh pointed out the systemic inadequacies contributing to this crisis. There are limited screening centers across the country, and the existing ones are often inaccessible for many women due to transportation issues. This results in a significant number of cases being detected too late for effective treatment.

“We are trying to create awareness and advocate for the establishment of more screening centers. Early detection can significantly improve outcomes,” she added.

The Role of Awareness and Vaccination

Awareness is a critical component in the fight against cervical cancer. Dr. Commeh emphasized the need for increased awareness both within the community and the health service.

“Creating awareness is like 50% of the work done. People need to know that cervical cancer is preventable, and that early detection can save lives,” she said.

Vaccination is another crucial element in the prevention strategy. Ghana is pursuing a vaccination program targeting young girls aged 9 to 14 with the HPV vaccine, which can prevent the onset of cervical cancer.

“We have put in applications to ensure that by next year, we will be vaccinating young girls. The earlier we can prevent the disease, the better,” Dr. Commeh noted.