NCCE joins the CDA Consult's cervical cancer prevention campaign

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the Eastern Regional Directorate, has joined the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult), which is a development communication advocacy non-governmental organization's national project dubbed the CERVICAL CANCER VACCINATIONS FREE ADVOCACY IN GHANA.

The CDA Consult, through the project, seeks to combine proactive advocacy skills and strong communication networks to congregate health professionals, human rights advocates, gender activists, religious adherents, and communication practitioners on a change paradigm advocacy campaign against cervical cancer and lobby authorities to make its vaccination free.

Speaking at a press conference in Koforidua under the banner “CDA Consult: The Eastern Region Must Rise Against Cervical Cancer,” Ms. Ophelia Nana Yaa Ankrah, NCCE Eastern Regional Director, commended CDA Consult for the project in the Eastern Region and pledged the commitment of the commission to support the project.

Ms. Ankrah noted that, as a major player in civic education, NCCE considers such projects laudable and an opportunity for the commission to engage the public. “Civic education is a shared responsibility; we joined the advocacy to prevent cervical cancer in the region and called on other stakeholders to join the campaign.”

Mr. Francis Ameyibor, Executive Director, CDA Consult, explained that the Eastern Region Must Rise Against Cervical Cancer emanates from the nationwide project CDA Consult Free Cervical Cancer Change Paradigm Advocacy.

He said the press conference was organized by CDA Consult, in collaboration with the NCCE Eastern Regional Directorate and other partners, including the National Insurance Commission (NIC), to ignite a relentless advocacy campaign in the region for the next five years.

“CDA Consult and its partners admit that progress has been made in promoting knowledge of cervical cancer in the country and the Eastern Region in particular,” he said.

Mr. Ameyibor stressed that the project aims at advocating for free cervical cancer vaccination and scaling up prevention, detection, and treatment towards the elimination of cervical cancer in Ghana.

“It is anchored on responsive communication as a weapon for attitudinal change, advocacy for mass voluntary vaccination, and encouragement for a healthy lifestyle.

“It also seeks to achieve maximum impact by demystifying the myth surrounding cervical cancer vaccination, screening, and treatment,” the CDA Consult Executive Director stated.

The CDA Consult Free Cervical Cancer Change Paradigm Advocacy is also targeted towards mobilizing funding investment in HPV vaccine programming in Ghana's low- and lower-middle-income communities.

Mr. Ameyibor noted that the project, while advocating for free cervical cancer vaccination, also seeks to mobilize funds to support and encourage young ladies before age 15 to undertake the vaccination as well as whip up enthusiasm among women to undertake cervical cancer screening.

“Our focus is to scale up vaccination, prevention, detection, and treatment of cervical cancer towards elimination by 2030. We will therefore, in collaboration with other stakeholders, seek policy change,” he noted.