Ghana recorded 2,500 cervical cancer deaths in 2024 - Deputy health minister

Ghana recorded about 2,500 deaths from cervical cancer in 2024 out of 3,000 reported cases, according to the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah.

Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, she described the situation as alarming and attributed the high mortality rate to late diagnosis and delayed access to treatment.

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“The mortality rate for cervical cancer was high. We had about 3,000 cases in 2024, but about 2,500 of them have died. This is because by the time we diagnose or find them out, it is too late, and there’s nothing we can do,” she said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, with around 660,000 new cases and around 350,000 deaths in 2022.

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It is caused by persistent infection with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Women living with HIV are 6 times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to women without HIV.

The government’s rollout of the free HPV vaccine for girls aged 9 to 15 marks a significant step in protecting young girls from the virus that causes most cervical cancer cases, as health authorities continue efforts to curb the rising toll of the disease.

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