Accra, Sept. 01, GNA – Cancer awareness and education on its devastating fatal impact on individuals, families and communities, has been a key commitment by the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), to help address Ghana’s pressing health challenges.
This is often achieved through an annual Cancer Awareness and Screening Campaign Programme organised by GAEC’s Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute (RAMSRI), in collaboration with the GAEC Hospital and other partners.
The campaign seeks to help change public perception and attitudes particularly about breast, cervical and prostate cancers, addressing issues of fear and stigmatisation, while encouraging early screening for prompt case detection and treatment to save lives.
Professor Samuel Boakye Dampare, the Director-General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, at the launch of the 2026 Cancer Awareness and Screening Campaign Programme on the theme: “Your Health Matters: Get Screened,” underscore the importance of early screening and detection for effective cancer treatment.
He said “The theme carries a simple but powerful message. It reminds us that our health is one of our most valuable possessions. Yet, too often, many of us neglect routine medical check-ups and cancer screening until symptoms become severe. By then, valuable time may have been lost.”
He said the latest statistics from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), through GLOBOCAN 2024, showed that there were approximately 20.6 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million cancer-related deaths globally in 2024.
The report further ranked breast cancer as the second most diagnosed worldwide, while that of the prostate placed fourth, with approximately 1.5 million new cases globally.
Prof. Dampare said cancer remained a major public health and economic challenge in Ghana, with the 2022 IARC’s GLOBOCAN report estimating a record of more than 27 thousand new cancer cases and more than 17 thousand cancer-related deaths, of which breast, liver, cervical and prostate cancers were among the leading causes.
He said these figures were more than statistics; “Behind every number is a person, a family and a community. They remind us of the urgency of prevention, early detection, timely treatment and sustained public education.”
He said the launch of the campaign was an important initiative and positive step to sustain the awareness kindled over the past four years, to bring cancer into public conversation, improve understanding, challenge misconceptions and encourage people to take greater responsibility for their health.
The Director-General advocated for these messages to go beyond simply telling people about the seriousness of cancers, to helping them to understand the risks, recognising early warning signs, overcoming fear and misconceptions, knowing when and where to seek care, and to have confidence in services available to them.
He commended RAMSRI and the GAEC Hospital for their tireless efforts in spearheading the initiative and urged them to strengthen their collaboration, sustain the momentum, expanding their scope and reach to improve Ghana’s health outcomes.
Throughout the Breast and Prostate Cancer Awareness Months respectively in October and November, a team of experts have outlined comprehensive activities designed to educate, screen people, and support those affected by these diseases.
Prof. Dampare thanked all sponsors and partners for their support, which demonstrated their shared responsibility towards improving the health of Ghanaians.
He stressed that the cancer fight was not the sole responsibility of the health sector, but required individuals, families, institutions, researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, communities, and partners to work together.
Prof. Abdulai Baba Salifu, the Chairman, GAEC Governing Board, noted that stigma, fear, financial constraints and lack of awareness had acted as barriers for far too long, and the campaign was an opportunity to step forward together to break down these barriers.
He explained that screening does not mean that one had cancer, rather it provided an opportunity to know one’s health status and where necessary, to seek appropriate medical attention at an early stage.
“It is particularly important that we take the message of screening beyond hospitals and medical facilities into our communities, because many people may not seek screening because of lack of information, fear, cost, misconceptions or the belief that cancer is something that happens only to other people,” Prof. Salifu said.
He encouraged all stakeholders including the media, traditional and community leaders to help carry the message across, encouraging more people to take advantage of appropriate screening and early medical care.
He assured RAMSRI, the GAEC Hospital and all partners, of the Board’s support to create an opportunity for attitudinal change from fear to knowledge, silence to conversation and from late detection of cancers to early action.
Dr Theodosia Adom, the Director of RAMSRI-GAEC, gave a brief highlight of the impact of the 2025 campaign and the planned activities for the 2026 event.
She noted that global statistics showed breast cancer as being dominant in females making up 12 per cent of cancers, saying cancer kills more people than HIV, TB and malaria combined, hence the urgency to step up efforts to save lives through awareness creation, early screening for detection and treatment.
She described the 2025 event as successful with good coverage among five corporate bodies, four health facilities, five community markets, three churches and a secondary school, and that over 2,500 people were screened, with more than 300 people participating in the health walk, distributing about 3,000 flyers and other educational materials.
There was also cancer education on television, radio, and social media platforms.
However, data on 2,232 women were collected on the cancer risk data, signaling the urgency of the problem.
Dr Adom said activities for the 2026 campaign starting from September, would include free screening for cervical and prostate cancers among other health checks, at various health facilities like the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, University of Ghana Medical Centre, GAEC Hospital, as well as other partner and corporate institutions.
There would be Community engagements at (Kwabenya and Taifa) markets and in some regions in areas like Dambai and Jasikan in the Oti Region, in partnership with the National Petroleum Authority Ladies Association, as well as Shama in the Western, and Upper Manya Krobo, Eastern region, supported by their Members of Parliament (MP).
There would also be a health walk on October 9th, and subsequently, engagements with the media, corporate and religious organisations in November, to expand and sustain the conversation and education on cancers, their impact and the need to urgently save lives through expanded initiatives.
There were solidarity messages from partners including the Ministry of Health and the MP for Dome-Kwabenya Madam Faustina Elikplim Akurugu, who pledged their support and opened doors to GAEC for expanded partnerships.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
01 Sept. 2026