Proffer Aid International Foundation Launches Cervical Cancer Project ‘BEWARE’

It has emerged that cervical cancer for the past few years has been the second most killer among women in Ghana, second only to breast cancer. Cervical cancer, a cancer infection that is observed on the lower narrow opening of the uterus.

This condition may have no symptoms hence may be present but one may not be aware and due to this, it is taken a high toll on our beloved women.

Analysts at the World Health Organization (WHO) have anticipated that by 2025, there will be around 5007 new instances of cervical cancer growth and 3361 deaths because of cervical cancer every year in Ghana.

The aggregate risk of a woman dying of cervical cancer is about three times worldwide combined risk.

Proffer Aid International is a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing health problems within the Ghanaian community. As part of efforts in providing health education and solution to health-based problems, we carrying out a health project dubbed Beware in Ghana, specifically caution individuals on health issues through awareness, education, and screening.

On December 28, 2019, the official launch of the project was held at Accra College of Education Community Library. The motive of the initiative is to create more awareness through digital platforms to increase the uptake of the screening exercise. Since is believed to be highly preventable with the use of cervical cancer screening tools.

The General Secretary, Daniel Forson disclosed that the organization intends to raise funds and screen 2000 women within February 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. With the use of our screening coupon, women can walk to any Marie Stopes Ghana center across the country and Greater Accra Regional Hospital Female Reproductive Center for a free cervical cancer test.

He added, many of the studies on cancer awareness have focused on breast cancer awareness with little attention on cervical cancer among women. Focusing on health education about the disease by health experts through the mass media can be a sure way of creating adequate awareness about the disease.

And it is expected that awareness and knowledge of cancer of the cervix among young female adults will influence their willingness to screen and young girls vaccinated. It will help to reduce cervical cancer developing.

Dr. Gloria Acheampim Ansong, Lecturer, (School of Nursing and Midwifery, Uni. of Ghana) said that Early stages of Cervical Cancer may be completely symptom-free; however, every woman that is sexually active is at a high risk of being affected even if the woman is married. Women who have more than one sexual partner or husband having other sexual partners aside from their wives, stand a higher risk of transferring it from other women to their wives.

Also, young girls who started having sex or got introduced to sex at an early age also stands a higher chance of getting affected with cervical cancer. Women who smoke are the number one people who can contract this type of cancer aside from sexual means.

“The exact relation between smoking and cervical cancer is not clear, but it’s been found out that women that smokes, stand a high risk of developing this type of cancer.”

The Project Coordinator, Emmanuel Akorful said, Now that the project is officially launched, they will work tirelessly to ensure the aim is achieved. The estimates of cervical cancer are quite alarming and therefore concerted and collaborative efforts would be needed from all stakeholders if the disease burden is to reduce.

The project was supported by Touch Heart Global, Initiative for Social Change, Warm heart, Glam_kwim_gh and refreshment provided by Blue Skies Foundation.