Germany, Ghana launch prostate cancer awareness campaign

An initiative to help reduce prostate cancer incidences in the country has been launched in Accra.

It is estimated that an above-average number of African men contract and die from the disease and to change this, the develoPPP programme of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Bayer's "Oncology Sustainability" initiative, together with the Ministry of Health, launched an awareness campaign under the slogan "Real Men ACT".

The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of the disease and help men make informed decisions about their health. In addition, the partners hope to promote public discourse on the topic of prostate cancer.

At the launch, Dr Holger Till, develoPPP Health team lead, said “with this awareness campaign, GIZ and Bayer AG hope men’s health will gain the needed attention and by prioritising their personal risk management, their health outcomes would ultimately improve.

At develoPPP Health, we work closely with private sector and with the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service.

All activities are geared towards health systems strengthening”. 

Data

Recent data shows a surge in prostate cancer incidence among Ghanaian men.

 In 2012, prostate cancer was the second most common cancer and rose to first place in 2015.

Today, it is the fourth most common cancer in both sexes.

Dr Nana Hagan, Vice President, Oncology Regulatory Strategy at Bayer, said the alarming statistics calls for immediate action and that  "this year, Bayer and GIZ helped equip various district hospitals in Greater Accra with testing equipment and supported a workshop on prostate cancer for healthcare providers in some district hospitals."

According to him, the project had been making progress since its launch in March 2022: "I am encouraged that the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has declared to include prostate cancer treatment in the National Health Insurance Programme."

Campaign

The campaign will be conducted in eight districts in Accra: Accra Metropolitan, Ayawaso East, Weija-Gbawe, Ga West, Shai Osudoku, Ashiaman, Kpone Katamanso, and Lekma.

The initiative includes a series of activities with Reggie Rockstone as the campaign ambassador. Planned activities include community events, workshops, and health.