TEIN Nyankpala wants cervical cancer on NHIS

Tertiary Education Institutions Network (TEIN) of the National Democratic Congress at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Nyankpala branch, has called on government to incorporate treatment of cervical cancer under the National Health Insurance Scheme.

Mr Charles Nigarim, President of TEIN at the Nyankpala Campus of UDS, who made the call at a cervical cancer awareness forum over the weekend at Nyankpala, said this would make treatment of the disease affordable to all.

The forum, which was to create awareness amongst young girls about the disease and encourage them to seek periodic screening, was organized jointly by the Women’s Wing of TEIN Nyankpala Campus, and the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG).

It was attended by students drawn from some second cycle and tertiary institutions in the Tamale Metro and Tolon and Kumbungu Districts, with officials from PPAG making a presentation on the causes and prevention of the disease.

Mr Nigarim said for health insurance to be complete, it must cover all diseases and infections, instead of the current situation where only diseases such as malaria whose treatment was not expensive, were covered under the NHIS.

He said due to the high cost of treating the disease, some women do not seek treatment because of lack of resources.

He also spoke about the focus of tertiary education, saying it should be practically oriented to fully equip students to face the challenges of the times.

He urged President John Mahama to introduce more innovations that would equip the youth economically.

Chief Alhassan Issahaku Amadu, Northern Regional Population Officer, who made a presentation on behalf of PPAG, advised women to avoid early sex, and sex with multiple partners, to reduce their chances of being afflicted with cervical cancer.