prostate and other cancers) as a national problem, establish centers at all levels of our healthcare delivery system for screening, diagnosis, early detection and prevention of these cancers, paid for under the restructured and revitalized NHIS”. NPP Manifesto 2016 Page 35.
I have always said and keep on saying that the only way we can fight cancers is to recognize it as a national problem. I have proposed the recognition of father’s day in Ghana as national prostate cancer awareness day to help strengthen the fight against the disease and the Men’s Health Foundation submitted this proposal to the President of the Republic of Ghana. We are yet to hear from the Presidency concerning his stance on this.
You see, cancer is also caused by lack of government will power to fight this and after reviewing the various Manifestos on the issues of health to see if there is a specific stance on cancers and realizing that the NPP has a pragmatic program on cancers when elected I was really impressed as a prostate cancer policy maker and researcher. Now this, their program on cancers will open the door for research, awareness, Testing, policies and major cancer relief bill we at Men’s Health Foundation Ghana aim even want to proposed to the Parliamentary committee on Health Issues next year. This is what we as charity wants to see in all parties; a specific stance on cancers in the country.
In the UK the government has a pilot project on cancers and other countries. Cancer can no longer be ignored in Ghana and in Africa as health services are patchy. People cannot afford cancer treatment with lots of side effects. Policies like this can open a door for Ghana to establish a National Cancer Foundation to help research into cancers locally and preventive medicine as there is cancer disparity. Cancer behaves differently in individuals and more aggressive in blacks than other races. Ghana can also establish the first Cancer Survivorship programs to help more cancer patients survive the disease and we at Men’s Health Foundation, have the expertise, the know-how and the right policies to fight against cancers in the county. Ignoring cancers won’t beat it.
Recently, Daily guide Jemila reported that Seventy percent of cancer deaths in Ghana could be prevented if healthy lifestyles are adopted and early detection is made, Dr Efua Commeh of the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Programme, Ghana Health Service (GHS), has stated.
Dr Commeh indicated that of the 16,000 new cancer cases recorded yearly in the country, more than 44 percent results in deaths.
“Data from the Ghana Health Service shows that 3052 cases of cervical cancer were recorded in 2015 out of which 1556 died, representing 51 percent, breast cancer also recorded 2260 cases with 1021 deaths, representing 45 percent, prostate cancer has 912 cases being recorded with 680 deaths, representing 75 percent.
Liver cancer had the highest fatality rate of 97 percent, claiming 1,856 lives out of 1923 cases recorded with 1,000 childhood cancers being recorded,” she said.
Dr Commeh said risk factors like increased life expectancy, pollutants, tobacco use, excessive use of alcohol and habits like physically inactive, poor diets low in fruits and vegetables may increase risk for cervical and breast cancer.
She said the country’s national strategy for cancer control in the country is to reduce the incidence and mortality of cancer by 30 percent through primary prevention, effective screening and early detection, document 50 percent of all cancer cases and establish a cancer registry to form the basis of delivering cost-effective interventions, for research and surveillance.
“Improve the quality of life for those with cancer and their family by 40 percent through support, rehabilitation and palliative care by improving service delivery across the continuum of cancer control through effective planning and co-ordination linked to improved resources,” she stated.
Dr Commeh was addressing media personnel at the final session of the Roche Media Academy themed: ‘Equipping The Ghanaians Journalist For The New Trends In Health Reporting’.
Dr Philip Anderson from Roche, taking the participants, mainly health reporters from the various media organisations through a presentation on NCDs, disclosed that NCDs are the leading cause of death in the world, responsible for 63 percent of deaths that occur in a year.
“The majority of these deaths – 36 million – were attributed to cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases,” he said.
He further showed that nearly 80 percent of NCD deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries.
“NCDs are not only a health problem but a development challenge as well,” he said.
Dr Anderson indicated that millions of deaths can be prevented by stronger implementation of measures that exist today, including policies that promote government – wide action against NCDs, stronger anti-tobacco controls, promoting healthier diets, physical activity, reducing harmful use of alcohol and improving people’s access to essential healthcare.
Cancer is not a respected of person, recently, the Founder of the Shekhinah Clinic in the Northern Region where mentally ill persons, the homeless and HIV positive persons are treated for free, Dr. David Abdulai, died at age 65. David Abdulai was diagnosed with stage-4 thyroid cancer in May 2016, a known aggressive and a fast spreading stage of the disease. His situation attracted some friends of the family to set up a”go fund me” to raise money for his medical treatment and the continued operation of his clinics.
Dr. Abdulai’s plight, which became public, got to government, which decided to cover the cost of his medical bills at the Ghana Sweden Medical Centre and the 37 Military Hospital.
The doctor, who was in dire need of radiation therapy, which is not offered in Tamale where he lived and operates two free clinics, was flown to Accra on August 9, 2016. This is why now recognizing cancers as a national problem is a good thing and I say Kudos!.
Dr. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu is a research Professor of Prostate Cancer and Holistic Medicine at Da Vinci College of Holistic Medicine, Cyprus and the Director of Men’s Health Foundation Ghana, the national peak body of prostate cancer.
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