Dr Kwaku Aning, the Board Chairman of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), has advised Ghanaians to prioritise their wellness through frequent health screening, for early detection of illnesses that may develop into cancers.
He said this was important, as proven by research that early diagnosis of breast and prostate cancers resulted in 90 percent successful treatment, giving vast chances for patient survival.
“Unfortunately, most people in Ghana, report to health facilities at the very late stage of their illness, when nothing can be done about their condition, only to add up to the global statistics and Africa’s souring mortality rates, especially with the cancers,” he said.
Dr Aning gave the advice at the media launch of the 2024 Cancer Awareness programme organised by the Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute (RAMSRI), in collaboration with the GAEC Hospital, other health facilities and partners.
He said the devastating impact of cancers on individuals, families and communities worldwide had been widely documented by the WHO showing that annually, the disease killed more people than malaria, HIV and tuberculosis (TB) combined.
Breast cancer accounted for 12 percent of all global cases diagnosed, and that one in eight women would develop the disease within their lifetime.
In 2022, there were about 2.3 million women diagnosed with breast cancer globally, with 670,000 mostly from developing countries, and in Ghana it was the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths only after liver cancer, “with some males cases detected during our last year’s screening programme,” he said.
“Again, prostate cancer is the second most common in men and the fifth leading cause of related deaths worldwide, and in 2020, approximately 1.4 million new cases were diagnosed,” he said.
Dr Aning said the alarming statistics, accorded prostrate and breast cancers as significant global health issues, necessitating widespread awareness and action.
The programme on the theme: “Uniting Our Voices and Taking Action Against Cancer,” as part of the activities to mark GAEC’s 60th Anniversary celebrations to be held between October and November, would provide free breast and prostate cancer screening for the public, with the staff embarking on a 15-kilometre health walk along the Atomic-Kwabenya-Dome-Haatso stretch, to educate people in the markets and institutions within these areas.
Dr Aning proposed a comprehensive cancer policy with four major components comprising of: Prevention, Early diagnosis, Treatment, and Palliative care, as the cheapest options for a developing country like Ghana with financial challenges.
He also advocated for the creation of a national cancer registry to ensure proper coordination of statistics on types of cancers, predominant communities or locations of such cases, for accurate research and tracing, calling for strengthened stakeholder collaboration and financial investments to sustain research advocacy, awareness creation, education, and treatment.
He advised the public to adopt healthy lifestyles and positive behaviours towards regular exercising, avoiding fatty, sugary and heavy metal contaminated foods, drinks, and herbal concoctions, as well as smoking tobacco and other harmful substances and alcoholism.
He urged religious sects to desist from feeding their members with negative notions on seeking orthodox healthcare, until their situations got worse.
Prof. Dickson Adomako, the Deputy Director-General, GAEC, said the Commission had launched a Development Fund, seeking to mobilise $10 million over a five-year period, to finance its research, innovation and advancement activities.
Also, several activities had been earmarked to showcase the Commission’s achievements in the peaceful application of nuclear technology to solve societal challenges, including healthcare, education, science and technology, environment, industry, energy and agriculture.
He said the GAEC cancer awareness and free screening programme presented a crucial opportunity to unite voices, honour survivors, remember love ones lost, and empower individuals to take charge of their health, to collectively act against the fatal menace, and pledged the Commission’s commitment to making a difference in the lives of people affected by breast, prostate and other cancers.
He called for joint efforts to empower communities with knowledge and resources needed to fight these diseases and sustain a year-long activity.
Prof. Francis Hasford, the Director of RAMSRI, GAEC, gave brief presentation on the Institute, the breast and prostate cancer outlook and a snapshot of activities for the scheduled programmes.
He said since RAMSRI was founded in 2009 as the fourth research institute within GAEC, to contribute to public health delivery and research, it had successfully led in cancer research and championed the crusade against breast cancer prevention through its annual awareness campaigns, with free health screenings, supported by the GAEC Hospital and other facilities.
However, the current global breast cancer record of 2.3 million new cases annually, was projected to double by 2035 without serious interventions, as in Ghana, about 4,500 new cases were diagnosed yearly with 50 per cent of them resulting in deaths, he said.
Available data showed that one in eight men would develop the prostate cancer in their lifetime, therefore the year’s activity had added free screening for men and would educate the public on the dangers of both diseases for a better appreciation to the call for early diagnoses and support for those already affected.
Dr Hasford said other events would include community and media engagement, article publications, extended free health screenings for workers of corporate institutions including the National Petroleum Authority, Graphic Communications Group, G4 Security (G4S), Ghana Free Zones Authority, the Ga East Municipal Assembly and the Kwabenya Senior High School, starting from October 2024.
