In a powerful display of community solidarity, the Teshie Community Clinic hosted a major World Cancer Day event under the theme “Closing the Care Gap: Community Action for Cancer Prevention and Early Detection in Ghana.” The programme brought together traditional leaders, health experts, survivors, and international partners to tackle the nation’s growing cancer burden through education, advocacy, and on-the-ground action.
Chaired by Teshie Paramount Chief, Nii Ashitey III, and graced by other local chiefs and queens, the event underscored the critical role of community leadership in driving health interventions. Dr. Robert Amesiya, Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), set the tone in his welcome address, highlighting breast, cervical, prostate, and liver cancers as the most prevalent in Ghana.
“The good news is that we have centers for screening and counselling to detect cancer early enough,” Dr. Amesiya stated. He urged attendees not to wait, emphasizing, “Cancer doesn’t affect only those who have it; it affects the family members as well… We can detect and prevent cancer early.”
A key focus was on childhood cancers. Dr. Patricia Boamah, a Pediatric Oncologist at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge), educated parents on symptoms like constant headaches, eye bulging, and gum bleeding. She reassured that “the National Health Insurance Scheme covers part” of treatment costs, urging early hospital visits. Addressing concerns about misdiagnosis, Dr. Boamah advised persistence and directly suggesting scans for cancer if symptoms persist, noting that GHS and the Ministry of Health are enhancing early detection systems.
Survivor testimonies brought a poignant human face to the fight. Madam Alimatu Sadia shared the successful treatment of her son, Abdul Rahman, at Ridge Hospital, while Barbara Naa Ashodey narrated her journey with hereditary breast cancer, advising against self-medication and stressing the financial challenges of treatment.
Solidarity messages reinforced a multi-sectoral approach. A representative from the World Health Organization (WHO) Ghana stressed that “cancers are becoming one of the leading causes of premature death not because solutions do not exist but [due to] absence to those solutions.” The WHO called for integrated universal health reforms and investment in community healthcare.
The Ministry of Health, through Madam Estelle, reaffirmed government support for prevention and screening programs. Mr. Benjamin Mensah of the Health Community of West Africa Association and Essence Clinic introduced a game-changing tool: an FDA-approved Rapid HPV test kit that delivers cervical cancer screening results in 15 minutes, dramatically speeding up the pathway to care.
Manye Naa Badu Adiagba, Queen Mother of Abelenkpe & Dzorwulu, called on traditional leaders to combat stigma and mobilize communities for screening. “Let us not fear, with the mindset of stigmatization or getting infected from the screening because that’s not so,” she urged.
In his keynote address on behalf of the Director-General of GHS, Dr. Lawrence Ofori Boadu declared cancer “a community disease.” He outlined efforts to decentralize screening, improve health information systems, and reduce financial barriers through initiatives like ‘Mahama Cares’ and public trust funds.
The event culminated in concrete action, with Essence Clinic conducting free cervical cancer screenings using the new rapid test kits for over 50 women on-site. In his closing remarks, Chairperson Nii Ashitey III commended the health institutions and pledged the community’s active involvement in ongoing cancer prevention efforts.
The programme demonstrated a resounding consensus: closing the cancer care gap in Ghana is achievable through united community action, strengthened health systems, and a relentless focus on early detection.
