Stakeholders call on Ghana government to make cervical cancer vaccination free
Stakeholders in the health sector have called on the government to make cervical cancer vaccinations free as an effective way to prevent it among women and to encourage many younger women to undergo vaccination.
The stakeholders said it could be cured if diagnosed at an early stage and treated promptly.
They also stressed that for Ghana to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer in the coming decades, with an agreed set of three targets to be met by 2030, cervical cancer vaccination should be free in the country.
The stakeholders made the call during the weekly “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility! A Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office initiative, aimed at promoting health-related communication and providing a platform for health information dissemination to influence personal health choices through improved health literacy.
The Ghana News Agency’s Tema Regional Office developed the public health advocacy platform “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility” to investigate the components of four health communication approaches: informing, instructing, convincing, and promoting.
The stakeholders said a World Health Organisation data, indicated that cervical cancer was the fourth most common cancer in women, with 604,000 new cases in 2020.
The stakeholders called on the Government to consider absorbing the cost of cervical cancer vaccination to reduce the burden on women and encourage more women to participate in the vaccination.
Dr. Yaa Akyaa Boateng, a family physician specialist at the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH), spoke on the topic: “Preventive Health Care for Women.”
Dr Boateng stated that increasing public awareness and facilitating access to resources was essential to preventing and controlling cervical cancer throughout a person’s life.
She mentioned that a highly efficient strategy to avoid HPV infection, cervical cancer, and other malignancies associated to HPV was to get vaccinated between the ages of 9 and 14.
Cervical illness can be identified through screening around age 30, and treatment for the condition also prevents cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer could be cured at any age if signs or concerns were identified early and treated well, she said.
“If detected and treated in its early stages, cervical cancer is curable. A crucial first step is identifying symptoms and getting medical advice to address any concerns.
“If a woman notices unusual bleeding throughout her menstrual cycle, after menopause, or during sexual activity, elevated or malodorous vaginal discharge symptoms, such as recurrent pelvic, back, or leg pain; weariness; appetite loss; vaginal discomfort; and leg swelling, important diagnostic tests and clinical evaluations are typically followed.
Referrals for treatment services, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery, as well as palliative care to offer pain management and supportive care are provided,” she noted.
To guarantee that a patient is referred as soon as possible and is assisted in navigating the process of receiving a diagnosis and making treatment decisions, Dr. Boateng emphasized the significance of the management pathways for invasive cancer care.
She said because women were the backbone of the family, society, and nation, it was important to encourage them to get checked out so that diagnoses could be done early. By doing so, they can maintain their health and continue to do their daily tasks.
Source: GNA