By Samira Larbie
Accra, Oct 3, GNA – Ms. Adelaide Ntim, the Deputy Minister of Health, has called for strengthened collaboration among stakeholders to tackle the pressing issue of prostate cancer in the country.
She said the approach would facilitate interventions, prevent duplication of efforts, and minimise the waste of limited resources.
Ms. Ntim made the call during the maiden National Prostate Cancer Dialogue organised by the Ministry of Health.
The event, supported by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), aims to address the growing concern of prostate cancer in the country.
It was on the theme; “Bridging the GAP in Prostate Cancer Care in Ghana.”
Prostate cancer affects the prostate gland in men, a small walnut-shaped organ located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The risk factors for prostate cancer include age, family history, race, ethnicity, obesity, and diet.
In 2022, there were 1,467,054 new cases of prostate cancer worldwide. In Ghana, prostate cancer is one of the two most reported cancers among men, with 27,000 new cases and 18,000 associated deaths recorded in the same year.
The deputy Health minister noted that, although prostate cancer was preventable and treatable, many cases remained undiagnosed until they reached advanced stages, resulting in poor outcomes.
She said that that was a significant gap in care that the country needs to address and urged stakeholders to improve awareness efforts.
“It affects thousands of our fathers, brothers, and sons. Yet, it remains a silent burden.
“We need to take collective actions and mobilise our efforts to address the challenges addressing prostate cancer,” she said.
The national dialogue aims to raise awareness about prostate cancer, improve access to Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) tests, and enhance public understanding for early detection of the disease.
Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, stated that to change the trajectory and enhance access to prostate cancer services, organizations like the Ghana Health Service and teaching hospitals are shifting their focus toward prevention and early detection.
He added that to improve access to those services, the National Health Insurance Scheme had been expanded to cover wellness clinics and yearly screening programmes for adults.
“Unfortunately, that has not included prostate cancer screening yet, and I hope that as part of the package, NHIS will start paying for the screening,” he said.
Dr. Kuma-Aboagye stressed that with early detection, the survival rate for prostate cancer was 99 per cent.
He assured that support at the primary healthcare level would be intensified to screen as many men as possible.
Prof. James Mensah, Head of the Department of Surgery at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and President of the Ghana Association of Urological Surgeons underscored the need for training more doctors and nurses to strengthen efforts.
He noted that while the theater space was available, there were also many patients in need of surgery.
The dialogue was attended by health experts, policymakers, development partners, civil society organizations, and members of the media.
GNA