Govt to establish National Cancer Registry

President Dramani Mahama on Saturday announced that government in collaboration with Ghana Health Service would establish a National Cancer Registry.

He said the registry would facilitate the keeping of record of the incidence of the disease and reach out to the more patients in the rural areas.

President Mahama made this known when he addressed a breast cancer programme at Accra Sports Stadium.

Breast Cancer, according to available statistics, is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women in the sub-Saharan Africa and globally the most common cancer among women.

President Mahama said government would embark on a pilot vaccination programme on cervical cancer to stem its spread.

He said although there are vaccines for cervical cancer the pilot project would determine how government would carry out expansion programmes in succeeding years.

He said government would continue to collaborate with development partners to eliminate both breast and cervical cancer that are becoming injurious to many women.

President Mahama said although the survival rate of breast cancer is becoming high as a result of advocacy and other educational programmes, government would continue to partner more stakeholders to train health workers, particularly those in the rural areas to carry out investigations and screening programmes.

He appealed to the public to be vigilant and promptly report any strange lumps in their breasts to health personnel to treat them promptly to avoid any chronic health hazards.

Mrs Vivian Gyasi Sarfo, Chief Executive Officer of Peace and Love Survivors Association, a non-governmental organisation called for intensified advocacy and constant educational programmes that would sustain the campaign and subsequently reduce the rate of the disease.