The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has launched the GNAT Cancer Foundation (GCF), to fight cancer among its members in Ghana.
The Foundation is dedicated to improving cancer care for GNAT members and their families through awareness creation, treatment and management and resource mobilisation to continue their vital work in shaping the nation’s future.
The decision by GNAT Council to set up the Cancer Foundation stemmed from GNAT’s acquisition of the Sweden Ghana Medical Centre (SGMC), one of the best cancer treatment centres in West Africa, located at Nanakrom, near Lakeside Estates, Accra.
Cost of treatment and care for members, their spouses and children below 18 years would be absorbed by the Foundation, however, the public is obliged to seek medical care at the Centre.
GNAT’s leadership said the welfare of their over 260,000 members continued to be paramount and there was a responsibility to do prudent investment with membership dues in areas that would ameliorate their lives and make their work more fulfilling.
The Foundation is calling on the corporate world, philanthropic organisations, development partners, members of diplomatic corps and the public through a nationwide campaign “GH¢ 5 for my teacher” to support their work and would in the coming weeks announce the short code.
Mr Amadu Moses Baman Snr., Deputy General Secretary, GNAT, during the launch said, as part of sustaining the GNAT Cancer Foundation’s work, each member is paying a contribution of GH¢ 5 to ensure a continuous collaboration between GNAT and SGMC.
He said all the interventions to generate funds were needed because machines and gadgets, medications and services of specialised person were expensive in cancer treatment.
“My understanding is that in health care preventive measures are cheaper than curative ones. The focus of the Foundation is to educate our members and the public on early detection and treatment,” Mr Baman Snr. Said.
Dr Clement Edusa, Chief Executive Officer, SGMC, said, GLOBOCAN 2022 estimated that every year in Ghana, 27, 000 new cancer cases were expected, adding that the prevalence was real but unfortunately patients visited the hospital when it was too late leading to high mortality rate.
He called for a national programme that screened and called in people to come for their medication whether they were sick or not and create awareness not only on breast but brain, prostate, throat, hair, skin cancers amongst others.
Mr Thomas Armstrong Asante, Board Chairman, GCF, in a keynote address, said: “Cancer is disturbing teachers so much that we need to do everything within our domain to ensure the teacher is bailed from cancer challenges.
The resources available is inadequate and we need to raise GH¢ 17.2 annually to sustain the work.”
Mr Joseph Nyarko, a Laboratory Technician and cancer survivor whose wife was a teacher, urged the public to do periodic checks since his rectal cancer showed no signs, adding that he spent GH¢ 200, 000 from November 2023 to May 2024.
