J&J partners GNAT Cancer Foundation to fight prostate cancer

Johnson & Johnson (J&J), a pharmaceutical firm, has partnered the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Cancer Foundation to fight prostate cancer among men in the country.

The partnership is aimed at ensuring early detection of the disease to address it before it worsens.

The initiative between the two institutions seeks to bridge gaps in prostate cancer care in the country.

The event brought together experts in the field, traditional rulers, security personnel, among other personalities.

Journey

At the launch of the initiative, the Country Manager of J&J Ghana, Emmanuel Antwi, said: "Today marks the beginning of a journey that combines innovation, compassion, commitment to ensure that no Ghanaian faces the battle against prostate cancer alone" Prostate cancer, he said, remained a major health concern globally and in the country and that the burden was not only medical, but also deeply personal, impacting families, communities and the workforce.

"Addressing this requires collective action, foresight and leadership, qualities that GNAT has consistently exemplified.”

“The GNAT Cancer Fund, designed to provide support and solidarity to its members facing the challenges of cancer, is a remarkable initiative and a shining example of what can be achieved when an organisation prioritises the well-being of its people," he said.

Partner

The Product and Key Account Manager of J&J, Nana Kwame Frimpong, said the company was ready to partner all institutions that wanted to enter into similar partnerships to champion early detection and treatment of prostate cancer for their active and retired staff.

"So today, we are launching the partnership with GNAT and it's a milestone for us, because we have been looking out for a lot of partners.”

A Urologist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Isaac Asiedu, who did a presentation on prostate cancer, noted that the condition was the second most common cancer among men around the world.

In addition, he said it was the fifth most common cancer-causing death in the world.

He said the situation was a little bit similar to what was happening in Ghana.

He said as of 2020, 1.4 million new prostate cancer cases were diagnosed and that "it is also the leading cause of cancer death among men in a quarter of the world's countries"

"But it is also known that when prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated at the early stage, more than 97 per cent of people treated at that stage would live beyond five years.

For his part, a television personality and satirist, Kwaku Sintim Misa, advised men to do check-up.

"It is very important to do the check-up so that there is early detection. Once it is detected early, your chances of survival are very huge," he said.