News
VRA hospital campaigns against cervical cancer
• Dr Valmont(Inset) addressing participants at the durbar
The Volta River Authority (VRA) Hospital in the Aboadze enclave of the Western Region has set itself to eradicate cervical cancer by 2100, in tandem with World Health Organisation (WHO) targets.
As part of this, the hospital has intensified public education includ ing durbars, medical conference among staff, screening and vaccination of women against the disease that killed about 47,500 in 2020, globally.
On Tuesday, staff of the hospital assisted by management, organised a float from Aboadze through Abuesi, Shama and Inchaban to Aboadze, for durbar to climax the cervical cancer awareness Month which falls on January each year. This year’s theme is “Get informed, get screened, get vaccinated”.
The Medical Superintendent of VRA Hospital, Aboadze, Dr Taurus Valmont, noted that, although, much had been said about cancer of the cervix, it remained a major cause of cancer death in the world.
Dr Valmont said the fight against cervical cancer had been a major objective of VRA medical directorate as it had intensified screening, vaccination and treatment of precancerous conditions at its health establishments.
“The cost of screening is reduced by 50 percent. Screening is done at the VRA Hospital every Wednesday, although, vaccination can be done on every working day. I would like to reiterate the commitment or the VRA to improve health delivery to the communities in the districts.
“I have to say that cervical cancer is still a major killer in our communities. Let’s all come together, get informed and ensure that our women are screened and vaccinated to help eradicate cancer of the cervix,”he said.
District Director of Health, Ms Naa Deide Okai, explained that cervical cancer affected the entrance of the vagina and the uterus, stressing “it could be eradicated.”
She said the cancer affected women and that almost 99 percent of cases were due to human tumour virus commonly transmitted through sex.
Cervical cancer, Ms Okai told the gathering, was the sixth most commonly cancers in women and that 89,500 got infected in 2020.
She advised women aged 30- 45 on the need to be screened and also repeat screening periodically, saying that the girl child between ages nine and 14, could also get vaccinated.
For 2023, she said, the WHO conference held in Cairo, Egypt, on January 13 , had set a 70 percent screening coverage for women between age 35 and 45 and 90 percent treatment for cervical cancer and management for women with cancer by 2030.
On preventive measures, she streesed “safe sex practices including abstinences,being faithful to one’s partner and the use of condom if one cannot abstain.
The Queen mother of Aboadze, Nana Korbabo III, praised the VRA campaign to reduce cervical cancer and encouraged women to participate in sensitisation programmes.
From Clement Adzei Boye, Aboadze
The Vice Chancellor of the Pentecost University, Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, is advocating an intentional conversation about the development and education of the boy child in creating stronger families and societies.
According to him, the boy child must not be ignored in conversations on leadership, education, family stability and national transformation because they are key to national development.
“There is a reason why a boy child must not be denied opportunities like education; he is a future leader. When boys are trained well, society becomes safer and stronger,” he stated.
Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua made the remark at a forum organised by the Church of Pentecost Schools Outreach Ministry in Accra to observe the International Day of the Boy Child observed on May 16.
It was held in collaboration with the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES), and under the theme: ‘Flourish and Thrive: Investing and Unleashing Boys for Strong Families and Communities.’
Leading the discussion, the Pentecost University Vice Chancellor warned that poor mentorship, declining in education, harmful social media influences and emotional neglect have made a lot of young boys vulnerable.
With a lot of the attention switching to the girl child, the boy child, he said was confronted with many challenges including violence, substance abuse, educational decline, emotional neglect and the absence of positive role models.
According to Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua, he noted that boys were turning to social media for direction due to the absence of fathers and mentors to help shape their lives.
“If we are not intentional, social media will mentor our children for us. We are not saying they should not use social media, but they should be guided to access the right information to excel in life,” he stated.
Prof. Agyapong-Kodua urged society to encourage boys to become creators of technology rather than mere consumers.
Contributing, Madam Gifty Asiedu, Director of the Girls’ Education Unit at the GES Headquarters, said the service remained committed to ensuring that no child was left behind, adding that, “supporting the boy child should not come at the expense of progress made in girl-child education.”
“If you focus intentionally on one gender and neglect the other, you create a societal problem,” she underlined.
She said the GES had observed some decline in boys’ retention in school, although the gap between boys and girls was not yet too wide.
“Over the years, attention has been focused on the girl child and we have seen the benefits. However, data now show that the statistics concerning the boy child continue to decline,” she indicated.
She explained that the service was implementing gender-responsive education to ensure that classroom teaching addressed the needs of both boys and girls equally.
Elder Barima Acheampong Sarpong II, Deputy Director of the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and Chief of Asante Asaman in the Ashanti Region, said society needed to critically examine the plight of boys.
“As we celebrate the International Day for the Boy Child, I urge every man to identify one boy child, find out how he is doing and dedicate some time to mentoring him,” he explained.
The programme, attended by educators, church leaders and policymakers, was the second edition following a partnership initiated last year between the Schools Outreach Ministry, the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the GES.
It sought to improve school enrolment, completion rates and learning outcomes among boys so they could grow into responsible men who would build strong families and communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Candidates that wrote the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in Ho Municipality are hopeful of obtaining good grades to make everyone especially their parents and the Regional Minister proud.
The candidates said they had so far sat the examination with focus and integrity after a call from Mr James Gunu, Regional Minister to avoid examination malpractice saying, they expected great performance upon release of results.
Mr Gunu, at the start of this year’s BECE delivered the message during a monitoring visit to some centres in the municipality including Ho Kpodzi EP Basic A School, Mawuli School, Mawuko Girls Senior High School (SHS), and Kabore School.
He urged the candidates to rely on hard work and discipline, warning that shortcuts could jeopardise their future.
“Stay focused and give your best in this year’s BECE – your determination and hard work will pay off. Avoid shortcuts and examination malpractice; integrity matters just as much as success,” he said.
The Minister, accompanied by the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, the acting Volta Regional Director of Education, and the Ho Municipal Director of Education, encouraged candidates to view the exam as a foundation for their academic journey and to celebrate responsibly after the final paper, commending parents, guardians, teachers, and officials of the Ghana Education Service for their support in preparing the candidates.
Candidates at some of the centres Ghana News Agency visited, echoed the call for honesty and high standards.
At Kabore School, Ms Francisca Atsu of Sokode Lokoe MA Basic School said, “The Regional Minister was here earlier to speak to us and also to encourage us. We’ve done our best. I assure him that we will make him and our parents proud.”
At Taviefe SHS Centre, Ms Valentina Sakpla of Taviefe R.C Basic School added, “We are expecting good results to make everyone proud and for our own good.”
Mr David Dotse, Supervisor at Kabore School, hosting 11 schools, with a standby ambulance on site to cater for any health emergency, reported smooth proceedings. –GNA
