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,
Over the past few months, the ages of some drivers of commercial vehicles continue to baffle me.
This is common during weekends when one boards any of the commercial vehicles – be it trotros and okada.
I remember, I boarded a taxi from the Accra Central area towards the Kwame Nkrumah Circle area. When I sat in the vehicle, I realised the driver was a young boy. Specifically, he said he was 18.
I know our laws do not permit youth under the age of 21 to be driving; that is clearly against Ghana’s Road Traffic laws for operating commercial vehicles.
Some commuters have even had confrontations with station masters over the issue and have refused to board vehicles driven by underage individuals, despite the risk of arriving late for work.
This situation is deeply disturbing because it puts the lives of passengers and other road users at risk.
No matter how skilled such drivers may be, allowing underage persons to operate commercial vehicles is wrong and unlawful. Laws governing road safety are meant to protect lives, and ignoring them only increases the chances of accidents and loss of lives.
I therefore urge the relevant authorities, especially the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, to strictly enforce the age requirements for commercial driving in the country.
Baba
Labadi
The advantages of focusing on girls have been evident over the years. However, current research indicates that the statistics pertaining to boys are still declining.
Approximately 69 percent of boys and 73 percent of girls finish primary school. While Senior High School (SHS) enrollment trends have lately changed, with females significantly outnumbering males (about 110 girls to every 100 boys), Junior High School (JHS) gender parity remains stable, with the Gender Parity Index (GPI) remaining between 1.00 and 1.03.
The Gender Parity Index (GPI) indicates parity between girls and boys.
Although encouraging education for girls is essential for Ghana’s development, the strong emphasis has unintentionally led to inequalities for boys.
Many stakeholders worry that affirmative action and unequal resource distribution put males at risk, which can occasionally lead to increased dropout rates and behavioural issues in specific neighbourhoods.
There has been a lot of discussion among Ghanaian sociologists and educators about the disproportionate support given to girls and how it affects boys.
They claim that the majority of scholarships and special facilities are frequently disproportionately given to girls, which boy child advocates contend makes young men feel ignored or disadvantaged.
Due to these differences, Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, Vice Chancellor of Pentecost University, has voiced serious concerns and is pushing for a deliberate discussion about the education and development of boys in order to build stronger families and societies.
The statement was made by Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua during a seminar hosted by the Church of Pentecost Schools Outreach Ministry in Accra on May 16, which is International Day of the Boy Child.
It was organised in association with the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES) under the theme “Flourish and Thrive: Investing and Unleashing Boys for Strong Families and Communities.”
Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua revealed that many young males are vulnerable due to inadequate mentoring, a decline in schooling, negative social media influences, and emotional neglect.
Additionally, he stated that the boy child faced numerous difficulties, including aggression, substance addiction, academic decline, emotional neglect, and the lack of strong role models, as a result of the focus shifting to the girl child.
He worries that since boys are essential to the development of the country, they should not be overlooked in discussions about leadership, education, family stability, and national reform.
The Spectator agrees with Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua and believes that while it is important to train girls, neglecting boys can impede social advancement by causing differences in behaviour and education between young men and women.
“If we don’t make an effort social media will train our children for us. We’re not saying they shouldn’t use social media, but we should help them get the information they need to succeed in life,” he said.
The Spectator believes that the GES would adopt gender-responsive education in order to guarantee that classroom instruction meets the requirements of both boys and girls equally.
Let’s continue to be dedicated to making sure that no child is left behind.
