Sunyani, Oct. 26, GNA - Dr. James Boakye Fordjour, a gynaecologist at the Regional Hospital in Sunyani on Thursday expressed concern about the increasing cases of cervical cancer reported at the hospital. Addressing women on the disease and breast cancer at a sensitisation forum in Sunyani, he said investigations had revealed that the regional hospital recorded more cases than Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the nation's premier in Accra.
He however, did not give any figures.
The forum was organised by the Department of Women of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs as part of the Brong Ahafo Regional celebration of women's health sensitisation month.
Dr Fordjour said females who engage in early sex and have multiple sex partners have the risk of acquiring the disease, explaining that women at the early ages of 18 and 25 contract the disease but manifested greatly in women aged between 45 and 60 years.
The gynaecologist advised the youth to abstain from early sex and avoid prem-marital sex. Dr Fordjour advised women to report such cases at the initial stages at the hospital for treatment as most of the affected women report rather late and bleed to death.
Dr Fordjour mentioned contact bleeding and coital bleeding as the major symptoms to identify the disease and advised that every woman should at least visit the hospital once every month to undergo voluntary screening.
On breast cancer, he urged women to practise the six-month exclusive breast feeding, saying, "most women who do not breast feed their children after birth stand the chance of developing breast cancer".
Madam Evelyn Atu Amoako, a senior midwife at the hospital speaking on "Safe Delivery and Safe Motherhood", advised pregnant women to attend antenatal clinic regularly and take the prescribed medicines accordingly to ensure safe delivery.
He urged them to eat nutritional and balanced diet to help in the good formation of the baby during and after birth, Mrs. Victoria Owusu-Kyeremaa, Regional Director of NCWD asked the women to share the knowledge they had acquired with their friends and associates in their communities and gave assurance that more of such programmes would be organised occasionally to educate women to become abreast with issues on their good health. 26 Oct. 06
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