By Bertha Badu-Agyei
Koforidua, March 21, GNA- Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult), a non-governmental organisation, has launched a 5-year Cervical Cancer advocacy campaign in the Eastern Region.
Dubbed, “Eastern must arise against Cervical Cancer” it is part of a national campaign project to scale up vaccination, prevention, early detection, and treatment of cervical cancer towards Elimination by 2030.
The campaign in the Eastern Region is a collaborative effort by CDA Consult and the NCCE and other partners to kick-start an aggressive campaign for free cervical cancer vaccination.
Mr Francis Ameyibor, Executive Director of CDA Consult who launched the campaign said although progress had been made over the years in promoting knowledge of the disease, more needed to be done to demystify myths surrounding cervical cancer vaccination and others.
The CDA Consult Free Cervical Cancer Change Paradigm Advocacy was also targeted towards mobilising funding investment in the HPV vaccine programme to ensure free vaccination in low and lower-middle-income communities in Ghana.
He said that while advocating for free cervical cancer vaccination, the project sought to whip up enthusiasm among young girls before the age of 15 years to vaccinate against the disease.
The Executive Director indicated that the project also sought to build the capacity of media practitioners in effective health communication to ensure that reporting on health issues hits the front pages to direct people on basic preventive measures.
Mr Ameyibor hoped that the campaign and Advocacy would galvanise a national effort to close gaps in the vaccination, prevention, detection, and treatment with enhanced community-based capacity.
He commended the Eastern Regional Directorate of the NCCE for taking the bold step to join hands with CDA Consult to change perspectives on cervical cancer.
Madam Ophelia Ankrah, NCCE Eastern Region director on her part said the campaign and Advocacy sits at the fulcrum of their activities to champion the cause of national issues.
GNA