MoH Lines Up Free Breast Screening, Sensitisation Programmes This October
The Ministry of Health (MoH) has outlined a series of programmes and exercises to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
They include nationwide awareness campaigns, free screening exercises, community education programmes and advocacy for equitable access to treatment and care.
These are geared towards raising awareness, promoting early detection, and strengthening access to quality breast cancer care nationwide.
“By leveraging our collective expertise and resources, we can bridge existing gaps in care, reduce preventable deaths, and improve patient outcomes. No woman’s life should be cut short due to late detection or lack of access to care,” it said in a statement.
The Ministry therefore encouraged Ghanaians to actively participate in these activities, take advantage of available screening services, and support those affected by the disease.
The campaign this year will be held under the theme: “NO ONE SHOULD FACE BREAST CANCER ALONE”.
Stat
Data shows that breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide.
In 2022 alone, approximately 2.3 million women were diagnosed, and 670,000 lost their lives to the disease.
In Ghana, breast cancer accounts for 31% of all female cancers, with 8 out of 10 breast cases still detected at advanced stages (3 and 4), far from the World Health Organisation’s global target of shifting 60% of diagnoses to early stages.
Treatment
The Ministry acknowledged that while breast cancer care is covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme, financing other cancer treatments remains a challenge for most Ghanaians.
To address this financial challenge, it said the Government had committed to financing treatment of other cancers through the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama Cares), a vehicle mainly focused on financing Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) towards the achievement of Universal Health Coverage.
Story by Hajara Fuseini
Click to read more: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/
