Greater Accra Health Directorate steps up breast cancer awareness
The Greater Accra Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has intensified efforts to promote breast cancer awareness and early detection throughout the year.
This is part of sustained measures to reduce the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in the region.
The acting Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Robert Amesiya, said breast cancer remained the most common cancer among women in the country, accounting for 31.8 per cent of all cancer cases recorded among Ghanaian women.
He said the disease continues to claim many lives largely due to late reporting at health facilities, a challenge the region is determined to address through continuous public education and improved access to screening services.
Dr Amesiya was speaking at a regional media engagement programme in Accra, to brief journalists on the Beat Breast Cancer Project, an initiative designed to improve early detection, diagnosis and timely linkage to care for women affected by the disease.
Moving beyond October
Dr Amesiya explained that although October is globally recognised as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Greater Accra Region has adopted a continuous, year-round approach to breast cancer education and screening.
“We are deliberately moving beyond the traditional focus on October because breast cancer does not wait for a particular month,” he said.
He explained that consistent public education, accessible screening services and timely referral systems were critical to improving survival rates and reducing the cost and burden of treatment.
Importance
The Greater Accra Regional Health Director identified late reporting as the major challenge confronting breast cancer management in the region, stressing that many women present at health facilities when the disease has already progressed to advanced stages.
“Even though breast cancer can be cured when detected early, most of our clients report late, and at that stage, even with huge resources committed, we still unfortunately lose them,” he said.
He cited studies showing that survival rates were very high when breast cancer was detected early, describing early detection as the most effective tool in reducing breast cancer-related deaths.
Project
Dr Amesiya explained that the Beat Breast Cancer Project was implemented by Jhipiego, a non-profit organisation, with funding support from the Pfizer Foundation, a philanthropic organisation, in partnership with the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health.
He said the project was currently being implemented in the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Northern regions, with the Greater Accra Region already recording positive results since its launch.
The project, he said, seeks to boost early detection, improve diagnosis and ensure that women diagnosed with breast cancer are effectively linked to appropriate care.
Challenges
The Greater Accra Regional Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Vivian Dwira, described breast cancer as a major public health concern, noting that many women continue to be diagnosed late due to limited screening centres, financial constraints and stigma.
She said screening services are largely concentrated in urban areas, making access difficult for women in rural and peri-urban communities.
She added that transportation costs and fear of social stigma further discourage early health-seeking behaviour.
Ms Dwira said health workers in the region have been trained under the project to improve screening and early detection, and that breast examination has been incorporated into wellness clinics, outreach programmes and routine health campaigns.
She encouraged the public to undergo regular health screening, noting that breast cancer can also affect men and that screening services are available at health facilities, including wellness clinics at the Regional Health Directorate.
