First Lady launches HIV, breast cancer campaign at Shama
The First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama, took her campaign on the creation of awareness of HIV and AIDS, cervical and breast cancers to Shama in the Western Region last Saturday.
Advertisement
The campaign, which was launched last year in Koforidua in the Eastern Region and Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region, is aimed at empowering women to take charge of their reproductive health needs.
Organised by the Ghana Chapter of the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV and AIDS (OAFLA) and the Ghana AIDS Commission, the campaign seeks to educate and advocate more attention and resources to address the burden of HIV, cervical and breast cancers in Ghana.
In the Shama District, residents will benefit from a week-long free screening for breast and cervical cancers, syphilis, HIV testing and counselling.The exercise started last Saturday.
The programme was attended by the Western Regional Minister, Mr Evans Aidoo, Members of Parliament, health officials, chiefs and queenmothers.
Initial engagements
Addressing the gathering to launch the campaign, Mrs Mahama, who is the first Vice-President of OAFLA, said the initiative was to complement the efforts of the government towards the prevention of mother-to -child transmission of HIV and reducing breast and cervical cancers.
With the provision of 1,600 Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) service centres in the country among other facilities Mrs Mahama said Ghana had made strides in the campaign to eliminate new infections among children.
However, she added that the country should not relent in its efforts at intensifying education to remove misconceptions and beliefs which might hinder progress made so far.
Other Trending Stories
According to her, initial engagements with the Eastern and Brong Ahafo regions yielded results, adding that over 300 people were screened for cervical cancer and 82 abnormal cases registered, of which seven were receiving further management.
Sustainable resourcess needed
Mrs Mahama, who is also the Premier Ambassador of the UNAIDS Global Plan on PMTCT, said there was the need to advocate more sustainable resources to improve the health of women.
She said her approach to the fight against HIV and AIDS involved community mobilisation and education and the involvement of men to support their partners to access HIV and reproductive health services.
“We can significantly move Ghana forward to achieve an HIV free generation through PMTCT, safe sex and reduction of stigma”, she said.
She added that cervical and breast cancers could be reduced by encouraging women to go for regular breast check-ups.
The Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Angela El-Adas, said women and children covered about 70 per cent of HIV cases, while about 3,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer annually.
She added that about 2,700 new infections were recorded last year among children between the ages of 8 and 15, while about 2,000 children died of HIV last year.
That, she said, called for concerted efforts to eliminate the disease.
The Queenmother of Nyankrom, Shama, Nana Akosua Gyamfiaba, commended the First Lady for the initiative to tackle mother- to-child transmission of HIV and breast and cervical cancers.
She, however, expressed worry about a district hospital project for Shama which had been abandoned, saying that when completed, the hospital would help to enhance the health of women in the community.
The queenmother, who chaired the ceremony, therefore, appealed to the government to complete the project to improve the health delivery of the people in the community.