By Michael Foli Jackidy, GNA
Battor (V/R), Feb. 19, GNA – Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has visited the Cervical Cancer Prevention and Training Centre (CCPTC) at the Catholic Hospital, Battor, in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region to assess progress and operational challenges.
Addressing health workers, the Director-General described cervical cancer as a major public health threat that not only claimed lives but also drove families into economic hardship.
He said the disease disproportionately affected women and imposed psychological, financial, and social burdens on households.
“Once diagnosed, the psychological impact alone is enormous. Treatment is costly, often requiring travel for radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Patients need caregivers, financial support, and time away from work, affecting entire families,” he said.
Dr Akoriyea stressed that prevention remained the most effective and affordable strategy and urged stakeholders to intensify screening and HPV vaccination efforts.
Dr Akoriyea noted that every Ghanaian worker played a vital role in national development, stressing that illness within any sector affected the broader economy.
“If a community health nurse is unavailable, communities lose essential services. If a disease control officer is absent, outbreaks may go undetected. If a farmer falls sick, food production suffers. Each one of us counts,” he stated.
He called on health workers to remain professional, compassionate, and committed, especially as the Service prepares to roll out Free Primary Healthcare nationwide.
According to him, the policy would increase facility attendance and expand preventive outreach, leading to heavier workloads for frontline staff.
“More people will come to you, and you will also go out to find more people who previously avoided health facilities. The workload will increase, but the reward will be a healthier population,” he said.
He urged health workers to be courteous, responsive, and proactive in referrals, noting that the success of the initiative would depend largely on their attitude and dedication.
Dr Akoriyea also expressed concern about the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly hypertension and diabetes.
He cited studies indicating that about 25 per cent of adults aged 45 years and above were hypertensive, many without knowing their status.
“Many people are living with hypertension unknowingly, and some who know refuse treatment. This often results in strokes, which we see regularly in our hospitals,” he said.
He emphasised that early detection and prevention were key to reducing complications and easing pressure on families and the health system.
The Director-General urged Ghanaians to support health reforms irrespective of political differences.
“Health is bigger than politics. When systems fail, they affect all of us. We are all potential patients, if not today, then tomorrow, or through our relatives,” he said.
He also encouraged health professionals to accept postings across the country as part of national development, noting that exposure to different regions strengthened unity and improved service delivery.
Dr Akoriyea commended Dr Kofi Effah, Head and Specialist at the Cervical Cancer Prevention and Training Centre, for his vision and leadership in establishing and expanding the facility.
He described the Centre as a model that should be replicated across the country and in the whole of West Africa sub-region.
“Our intention is to replicate what you have built here and even improve upon it in other regions. We must mobilise resources and work together to sustain and expand this initiative,” he said.
Dr Kofi Effah welcomed the delegation and expressed appreciation to the Director-General for honouring his commitment to visit the Centre.
He explained that the facility, established in May 2017, and operated through three key units: Clinical Unit – providing HPV vaccination, screening, and treatment of pre-cancerous lesions.
Diagnostic Laboratory – conducting HPV and PCR testing for Battor and other facilities nationwide. IT and Data Unit, which managed data and research, with over 20 scientific publications contributing to national and international cervical cancer policy in low-resource settings.
Dr Effah disclosed that the Centre had trained 478 health workers from 153 out of Ghana’s 261 districts, representing 58 per cent national coverage.
He explained that the facility delivered training in two intensive modules: Module One which equips participants to establish screening units and conduct Pap smear, Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) and HPV testing, while Module Two trains participants to treat pre-cancerous lesions using thermal ablation and cryotherapy.
Through partnerships, including support from the Rotary Club of Accra East, the Centre has supplied equipment to facilities across all 16 regions to enhance cervical pre-cancer treatment.
Despite the progress, Dr Effah stressed the need for sustained financial support to continue training and replace personnel who leave the system.
He also highlighted a new initiative to train nursing and midwifery students before graduation to ensure continuity of skills nationwide.
“It would be unfortunate for these well-trained nurses to remain at home awaiting posting while their expertise is urgently needed,” he said.
Dr Effah appealed to government to support scaling up the programme into a national strategy to eliminate cervical cancer in Ghana.
Before visiting the Centre, Dr Akoriyea made a familiarisation stop at the District Health Directorate, where he interacted with staff and commended them for their dedication and service.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Linda Asante Agyei