Editorial
Let’s work to eradicate cervical cancer
The Spectator published a story on cervical cancer last week with the headline, “Women asked to screen regularly as cervical cancer claims more lives.”
Cervical cancer is cancer that starts in the cells of the cervix through long-lasting infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) and this mostly occurs in women over age 30.
The story made the case for women to get regular screenings to prevent contracting the disease, which is claiming more lives around the world. Cervical cancer was described as deadly, devastating, and wreaking havoc on families.
Women are the backbone of families and play a crucial role in the socioeconomic advancement of society, making it imperative that they are aware of their health, especially when it comes to screening for cervical cancer.
Records show that, worldwide, 47,500 of the 89,500 infected women in 2020 perished. in line with cervical cancer. According to data from the HPV Information Centre in Ghana, 3,151 new cases of the disease are diagnosed annually.
As if that is not enough, in 2019, the disease claimed 2,103 lives in the country. The rate of infection is alarming and it calls for regular screening as early detection will lead to effective treatment.
The Spectator is concerned about the rate at which women lose their lives through cervical cancer and strongly believes that these deaths could have been avoided if most women were well-informed about the disease.
The deaths should sound a note of warning to the government to focus more attention on cervical cancer and intensify the education on the disease for many women to be well-informed about it.
Although efforts are being made by the government, health institutions and some local and international organisations to raise awareness of the disease it seems there is still much to be done to spread the message widely, especially to communities to forestall these occurrences of deaths.
Thankfully, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has set aside January as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month to create awareness on the disease and to campaign on the need for women to get screened and vaccinated. This is a laudable initiative which needs to be supported by all to help eradicate the disease.
This year’s theme is, “Get informed, get screened, get vaccinated.” The theme is timely as sufficient knowledge about the disease will go a long way to help women follow the methods for its eradication.
The Spectator implores the government to improve its sensitisation efforts by making it a must for all women and also young girls to be screened for cervical cancer regularly to know their status.
We also hope that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) will make it mandatory for clinics, hospitals and all other health centres to check whether patients who visit their health centres have been screened and vaccinated against cervical cancer.
If possible, the cost of screening should be included in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to make it possible for those who cannot afford to benefit from it.
By so doing, it will complement the efforts of WHO and other organisations to raise awareness of the disease and the need for women to get screened and vaccinated.
Women and girls must take the screening and vaccination seriously to stay healthy. Let us help eradicate cervical cancer for women to live healthy lives.
Dear Editor,
I wish to use this esteemed platform to urge the traditional councils of Osu and La to call for independent investigation into the recent demolition exercise at Kaajaano.
The exercise rendered hundreds homeless.
Information about the reason for the demolition has been scanty with those desiring to know feeding heavily on social media posts.
One particular name –Jato, has been associated with it but under whose instruction the exercise was carried is also not known.
Sadly, instead of getting to know who ordered the demolition and for what reasons, traditional authorities of Osu and La have been embroiled in a tug-of-war over ownership of the said land.
This is premature. At this moment, they should call for investigation into the exercise to know the people behind it.
When that is done, then discussions about the owners of the site can begin. That would end the posture of the two neighbouring town which has the potential to turn into something else.
Ataa Osa Mensah,
Osu
Dear Editor,
I wish to use your respected platform to draw the attention of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to the behaviour of traders and some drivers about the use of lower denomination coins, specifically the 20 and 10 pesewas.
About two weeks ago, I read in your sister newspaper, The Ghanaian Times about this problem and the caution that followed from the BoG and some economic analysts.
The warning they gave was that the continuous rejection of the notes could create pricing problems which can eventually affect inflation.
I thought that would put to bed that practice or refusal to accept the coins when given out as change or use to pay for particular service.
Unfortunately, the problem still persist among traders, drivers, customers and passengers alike. Only last week, there was as altercation in the Accra Central area where a woman refused to accept five 20 pesewas note totaling one cedi.
As the argument continued, the trader decided not to sell to the customer again after by-standers explained to her that it was still a legal tender and those that refused it could become offenders.
This is an issue the BoG and other regulatory agencies must go and explain to the people and let them know that it is unlawful not to accept a currency that is still in use.
It nothing was done, it could create a much more serious problems.
Mary Osei Badu,
Swedru
