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Vaccinate boys, girls against cervical cancer

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• Dr Partey-Newman

Dr Partey-Newman

Dr Victoria Partey-New­man, a Resident Public Health Physician, West African College of Surgeons (WACS), has advocated the vaccination of both boys and girls in the fight against cervi­cal cancer.

In her view, it was the most effective way to prevent the disease from spreading.

Consequently, she ex­pressed the view that it should be engrafted in the educational policy of the country for the Human Pap­illomavirus (HPV) vaccine to be administered in schools to boys and girls from the age of nine.

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According to her, vaccinat­ing both boys and girls could facilitate the eradication of the HPV and also protect boys from infection, reduce transmission, increase herd immunity and effectively reduce HPV associated dis­eases.

She explained that al­though men do not suffer from the cancer, they can still contract the HPV after having sex with an infected woman and transmit it.

Dr Partey-Newman said this in an interview with The Spectator on Tuesday in Accra as Ghana joined the world to commemorate the Cervical Cancer awareness month observed in January every year.

The theme for 2024 edition is ‘learn, prevent, screen.’

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The month is set aside each year by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to raise awareness of the disease and vaccination against HPV, which is the main cause of cervical cancer.

According to WHO, this year’s Cervical Cancer Aware­ness Month aims to highlight the importance of increasing access to HPV vaccines, reg­ular screening, and state-of-the-art treatment for cervi­cal cancer in its early stages.

It said, its shared objective was to dramatically reduce the occurrence of cervical cancer by 2030 and to elim­inate the disease as a public health problem by 2120.

Dr Partey-Newman, who is also the Chief Executive Of­ficer of Ladybits Health and Wellness Center said “due to our culture about sex, most young girls have not yet been vaccinated right from age nine in schools.”

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She urged women to be proactive with their health by visiting the hospital when they experience vaginal bleeding after sex, bleeding after menopause, bleeding between periods, pain during sex, watery vaginal discharg­es with odour which some­times contains blood.

She urged women to go for their regular screening each year and avoid smoking, hav­ing multiple sexual partners, eat a well-balanced diet and exercise regularly.

Dr Party-Newman men­tioned that cervical cancer was primarily caused by persistent infection with high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV).

Currently, she said esti­mates show that every year 2,797 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, out of which 1,699 die from the disease.

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She said the Catalan Insti­tute of Oncology (ICO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) ranked cervical cancer as the second most frequent cancer among women in Ghana and the second most frequent cancer among women be­

 By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu

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Investing in youth is investing in peace— Hopeson Adorye charges young leaders

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Global Board Chairman of the International Youth Network for United Nations Security Council Resolution (IYNUNSCR)2250, Hopeson Yaovi Adorye, has called on young people across the world to take deliberate action in building peace, justice, and sustainable development.

Delivering the keynote address at the IYNUNSCR2250 Global Youth Assembly held in Accra over the weekend, Mr. Adorye told the gathering of youth leaders that this generation stands at a “defining moment” in history.

He noted that while the world faces rising conflicts, violent extremism, climate pressures, cybercrime, and political polarization, young people are not just victims of these crises.

“The adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 marked a historic turning point by recognizing that young people are simply victims of conflict but indispensable partners in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, mediation, reconciliation, and post-conflict recovery,” he said.

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He stressed that peace cannot be taken for granted.

“Peace must be intentionally built. Peace must be protected. Peace must be sustained. More importantly, peace must include everyone,” Mr.Adorye stated.

He defined true peace as more than the absence of war, it exists where justice prevails, human rights are respected, institutions are accountable, and women and youth participate fully in decision-making.

“Without justice, peace remains fragile. Without development, peace remains temporary. Without inclusion, peace remains incomplete,” he added.

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Turning to Africa, Mr.Adorye described the continent’s youthful population as its “greatest strategic asset” and not a burden.

“When governments invest in education, entrepreneurship, innovation, digital skills, healthcare, and good governance, young people become drivers of economic growth and democratic stability,” he said.

He warned that the absence of these opportunities creates frustration and conditions that threaten peace and security.

According to him, “Investing in youth is investing in peace. Investing in education is investing in national security. Investing in jobs is investing in stability.”

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The Global Board Chairman urged delegates to move beyond advocacy and become practical agents of change. He challenged them to reject corruption, political violence, hate speech, tribalism, and misinformation.

“Let us use social media to educate rather than inflame. To unite rather than divide. The digital world should become a platform for peace, innovation, and global cooperation,” he said.

He further tasked IYNUNSCR2250 members to mentor vulnerable youth, promote mediation, advocate for peaceful elections, support environmental protection, and empower women and girls.

He further added that “History will judge our generation not by the challenges we inherited but by the solutions we created,” Hon. Adorye concluded. “May our voices become voices of reconciliation. May our actions become instruments of peace.”

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The Assembly, hosted under the leadership of IYNUNSCR2250 Global President Her Excellency Rev. Dr. Lilian Sally Addo, brought together youth leaders, members of the Global Advisory Board, and distinguished guests to advance the youth, peace, and security agenda.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

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Two dead, eight injured in road accident at Dompoase near komenda

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Two people have died and eight others sustained injuries following a road traffic accident at Dompoase, near Komenda on the Cape Coast-Takoradi highway on Thursday, July 31, 2026.

According to a statement from the Ghana National Fire Service, Central Region, the Komenda Fire Station received a distress call at 18:55hrs. Rescue personnel arrived at the scene 15 minutes later at 19:10hrs.

On arrival, fire officers found one person trapped in a crashed Toyota Hiace with registration number AS 6145-24.

The rescue team worked to extricate the victim, but the person was later pronounced dead at the scene.

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Preliminary information indicates that 10 people were on board the Hiace at the time of the crash. Apart from the two fatalities, eight others sustained various degrees of injury.

Three of the injured were said to be in severe condition.

Personnel from the National Ambulance Service transported all the injured to the Elmina Polyclinic for medical care.

An eyewitness at the scene told officials that the accident occurred when an unidentified vehicle traveling from Takoradi towards Cape Coast* attempted to overtake another vehicle.

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In an attempt to avoid a head-on collision, the Toyota Hiace, which was traveling from Cape Coast towards Takoradi, swerved and crashed into a broken-down truck with registration number GN 2491-14 that was parked by the roadside.

The Central Regional Fire Command has advised drivers to exercise patience and extra caution on the highway, especially during overtaking and in areas where broken-down vehicles may be present.

“Such incidents can be prevented if road users obey traffic regulations and remain alert,” the statement said.

The identities of the deceased have not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.

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By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

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