Cervical cancer kills 7.6m – Foundation

Mrs. Joana Nyame, Executive Director of Global cervical Charity Foundation, has challenged women to always seek a routine check-up to be aware of their status on the danger of cervical cancer.

She said available statistics in 2008 revealed that about 7.6 million women, who were affected by cervical cancer die annually around the globe.

Mrs. Nyame, who was speaking at a sensitization programme on health, organized by St Theresa of the Child Society of the Corpus Christi Catholic Parish at New-Tafo (Krofrom) in Kumasi, as part of activities to mark year long celebration of the 30 years of existence, revealed that the disease mostly occurs in the low and middle income countries.

She called for early check-up for early treatment to save lives, as women play pivotal roles in the socio-economic growth of every nation.

According to her, Cervical cancer is the leading disease that kills women of today worldwide, and stressed that the disease is the commonest female cancer in Ghana stressing that out of every 100 women affected, only five survives as the virus stays for 10 to 15 years and destroys the cervix.

She mentioned early sex, especially during adolescent years, multi partners, Herbal insertion (Douching), heredity, uncircumcised penis and sexually transmitted diseases as some of the predisposing factors which cause the disease.

The Global Cervical Charity Foundation director urged women to always detect early lesions, to rule out abnormal appearances of cervix and refer suspected patients for biopsy. Mrs. Cecilia Nketia, President of St Theresa Society, appealed to women to seek for regular check up to protect their wombs and cervix to save them from the dangers of the disease.