By Naa Shormei Odonkor
Kumasi, Feb 13, GNA – Dr Beatrice Wiafe-Addai, President of Breast Care International (BCI) has called for financial support to speed up the completion of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Excellence. The successful completion of the centre located at Kwaso, in the Ejisu Municipality of the Ashanti region, will serve as the first and only cancer treatment centre in the country.
Dr Wiafe-Addai made the call during the 2026 World Cancer Day Celebration organised by BCI in Kumasi, under the global theme; “United By Unique.”
In attendance were Okofrobuo Dr Nana Yaw Agyei II, paramount chief of Mim traditional council, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Kumasi Technical University, students from four Senior High Schools, and breast cancer survivors among others.
Topics such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, importance for counselling cancer patients and others, were discussed to educate the students.
Dr Wiafe-Addai said the project was being carried out in phases with the first phase expected to cost about USD 10 million to complete.
According to her, the project occupying about 52 acres of land, was currently at the foundational level after the sod cutting ceremony was held in October last year.
Dr Wiafe-Addai said it was very important to have a comprehensive cancer centre of excellence in Ghana to treat all types of cancer cases in the country.
She said the current situation where most cancer patients travelled outside Ghana for treatment was very expensive and frustrating and there was the need for a comprehensive centre to treat patients locally.
Dr Wiafe-Addai pointed out that, the cancer was becoming a national health burden due to late diagnosis and high cost of treatment.
She said research from Globocan showed that, over 27,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Ghana each year, out of which about 18,000 them die.
“In Ghana, with a population of about 35 million people, we don’t have one, not one, stand-alone comprehensive cancer centre of excellence,” Dr Wiafe-Addai lamented.
Additionally, she noted that the country only had three radiotherapy units of which one could shut down without notice for a while.
According to her, a country with a human population of about 35 million was supposed to have 35 radiotherapy units whereby one unit would attend to a million people.
Dr Wiafe-Addai emphasised the distressing state the country faced in terms of cancer healthcare and called for an urgent response from the government.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Kenneth Odeng Adade