First Lady worried about increasing incidence of cancer

The First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, described the increasing incidence of cancer as worrying, saying the onus lies on stakeholders to come together in finding an antidote to the occurrences.
According to the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), the country records approximately 3,000 new cases of cervical cancer each year with a corresponding mortality rate of about 2,000.
Additionally, the cancer registry centres nationwide had also been recording high cases of the disease, ranging from breast, liver and prostate cancers, as well as leukaemia in children.
Mrs Akufo-Addo, speaking on the theme ‘I Am, and I Will’, she lauded the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the largest global organisation campaigning against cancer, for teaming up with health authorities in the country to promote preventable measures for the wellbeing of the people.
The First Lady indicated that cancer in whatever form was deadly, and decried the manner in which it was negatively affecting the Ghanaian productive workforce.
“Most of the patients who die as a result of the disease are between the ages of 30 and 55. This is not acceptable, and we need as a nation to work assiduously in finding a remedy to the situation,” she observed.
Princess Dina Mired of Jordan, who is also President of the UICC, acknowledged the fact that the treatment of cancer was costly, and for this reason, it was imperative that the people sought early treatment when diagnosed with the disease.
She said Kumasi, given its strong commitment to fighting the disease, would be supported by the UICC to achieve its objectives.
“Cancer prevention and treatment is about team work. We, therefore, need all hands on board to make a headway,” she told the gathering.
Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, Minister of Health, assured of the government’s resolve to equip health facilities with the requisite resources to be able to deal effectively with the incidence of cancer.
Mr Osei Assibey-Antwi, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), who was instrumental in securing the ‘Kumasi City Cancer Project’, said the Metropolitan Assembly had been partnering health authorities to create awareness about the disease.