Prostate cancer awareness month launched

Dr Raphael Nyarkotey Obu, Chief Executive Officer of Men’s Health Foundation Ghana, has called for support from non-governmental organisations and corporate bodies to help fight prostate cancer in the country.

He said the disease which is common in men kills about 800 people in Ghana every year, whilst about 1,000 are diagnosed every year but no attention is paid to it.

Dr Obu, a Registered Naturopathic Doctor, made the call at the launch of this year’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Month celebration in Accra on Saturday.

As part of the celebration, there would be free prostate cancer screening, fundraising activities, communities and churches symposiums and radio and television talk shows.

Dr Obu said the programme which is in collaboration with Amansan Television, Today Newspaper and Pluzz FM is aimed at creating awareness on the disease every September which marks Global Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

“We are asking all particularly men to unite against the disease, the most common in men just like women have united against breast cancer,” he said

Dr Obu said in Ghana, much attention has not been paid to the disease and that it is time everyone’s hand should be on the deck to help fight the menace.

He said men’s health has been low on the agenda for far too long, hence the need for them to come together to fight the injustice of prostate cancer.

Dr Obu said: “Men’s health has been low on the agenda for far too long, so it’s time for men to band together against the injustices of prostate cancer.”

Dr Obu who is also a Prostate Cancer Specialist of the Sheffield Hallam University of the United Kingdom thanked Christian Community Microfinance for supporting the Foundation in its activities.