By Benjamin Adamafio Commey
Accra, Oct. 17, GNA – Schoolgirls of Kpobikorpe MA 1&2 Basic School in the Ga West Municipality have received education on cervical cancer prevention, reproductive health and the importance of protecting their health.
The sensitisation programme, led by the school’s Guidance and Counselling Unit in collaboration with ActionAid Ghana and the Young Urban Women’s Movement (YUWM), focused on cervical cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV), sexual and reproductive health and the importance of seeking reliable information and support.
It also provided an opportunity for the pupils to learn about menstrual health, sexually transmitted infections and the consequences of teenage pregnancy, with facilitators urging them to prioritise their education and make informed decisions about their well-being.
The initiative forms part of efforts to strengthen school-based health education and create safe spaces where girls can discuss sensitive issues, including menstrual difficulties and other reproductive health concerns.
Speaking at the event, Ms Jennifer Amponsah, Assistant Guidance and Counselling Officer and School Chaplain, who facilitated the programme, said the initiative was intended to address sensitive issues affecting girls that they were often reluctant to discuss openly.
She said many pupils experienced challenges relating to menstruation and other aspects of their development but were sometimes afraid to seek help, making it necessary to create a safe and supportive environment where they could speak freely.
“Most of our children have several issues. They are not able to come out with it, but occasionally some of them do come to me because I am in charge of the girls,” she said.
Ms Amponsah explained that she had prioritised cervical cancer education because of the seriousness of the disease and the need for girls to understand its risks early enough to make informed decisions about their health.
She said her personal experiences with people who had died from cancer had reinforced the importance of educating young people about prevention and the consequences of delayed awareness.
“Every kind of cancer is dangerous. I have experienced some,” she said, recounting the recent deaths of two members of her church, one from breast cancer and the other from cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the cervix –the lower, narrow part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.
It is largely caused by persistent infection with high-risk types of HPV, a common virus transmitted primarily through sexual contact.
Globally, cervical cancer accounted for 662,301 new cases and 348,874 deaths in recent data from the World Cancer Research Fund.
In Ghana, the International Agency for Research on Cancer / GLOBOCAN Fact Sheet reports 3,740 new cases of cervix uteri cancer, making it the second most frequent cancer overall and among women (behind breast cancer)
HPV vaccination, screening and timely treatment of precancerous changes are key measures for preventing the disease.
Ms Amponsah urged the girls to take the lessons seriously, make responsible choices and avoid sexual activities at their current stage of development, while encouraging them to seek guidance whenever they faced challenges.
She assured that teachers were available to support pupils who needed help, adding that the school sometimes involved parents, the headteacher and other relevant persons to address their concerns.
Ms Amponsah said she had also founded a girls’ club in the school to provide health education, practical demonstrations on menstrual hygiene, including the use of reusable sanitary pads, and guidance on issues affecting girls’ development.
The club, currently, has more than 80 girls as members.
She called on parents, teachers and health professionals to work together to ensure that girls received appropriate information and assistance, stressing that no pupil should feel ashamed or afraid to seek help.
Ms Thelma Assabre, Project Officer of YUWM, said the organisation’s engagements with guidance and counselling teachers and girls’ club coordinators over the past two years had helped improve pupils’ understanding of sexual and reproductive health and rights.
She said review meetings and training sessions had encouraged teachers to organise school-level activities, making girls more comfortable discussing their concerns and seeking support from trusted adults.
Ms Assabre said cervical cancer deserved greater attention alongside other cancers.
She, therefore, welcomed efforts by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to educate pupils about cervical cancer and HPV vaccination, describing the sensitisation exercise as an important step towards ensuring that girls understood the reasons for vaccination and the importance of prevention.
She said educating girls before they became sexually active would help them better understand the risks associated with sexual activity and the measures available to protect their health.
Ms Assabre advised the pupils to prioritise their education, resist negative peer pressure and abstain from sex, while encouraging them to seek accurate information rather than rely solely on advice from friends.
She also urged stakeholders to sustain such educational programmes so that girls in other schools could also benefit from information about cervical cancer and their sexual and reproductive health rights.
Mr Mahama Williams Kipo, Headmaster of Kpobikorpe MA 1 Basic School, also urged the pupils to apply the knowledge gained and make decisions that would enable them to complete their education.
He cautioned that teenage pregnancy could interrupt their academic progress and make it more difficult to achieve their aspirations, encouraging them to remain disciplined and focused on completing basic education before considering parenthood.
He also stressed the seriousness of cancer, warning that it was not an ordinary illness that could be treated with common medicines and urged the pupils to take their health seriously.
He encouraged them to seek guidance from their teachers and other trusted adults whenever they faced difficulties, rather than make decisions that could jeopardise their well-being.
Miss Sarah Wiredu, a Junior High School Three pupil, said the sensitisation programme had deepened her understanding of cervical cancer and sexually transmitted infections and made her more conscious of the need to protect her health.
She said the lessons had helped her appreciate the importance of abstinence, making informed decisions and sharing accurate health information with other young people.
“I’m going to tell my colleagues at home and other schools that we should abstain from sex,” she said.
She also urged fellow pupils to seek reliable information about sexual and reproductive health, understand the risks associated with sexual activity and learn about available protective measures.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Benjamin Adamafio Commey
Email: [email protected]