Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai
The newly-inaugurated Ghana Cancer Board has pledged to involve all stakeholders in the effort to reduce the rate of the deadly disease in the country.
A statement issued in Accra and signed by chairperson of the board, Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai, said they were intensifying the collaboration with civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, corporate bodies, private sector, cancer survivors, researchers and individuals in the fight against the disease.
“Cancers and non-communicable diseases should be fought head-on, as these group of diseases continue to take the lives of our loved ones, prematurely, burden the taxpayer and reduce productivity considerably,” the statement said.
The advisory board, which was inaugurated in May by Minister of Gender, Children & Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba, has been tasked to educate, create awareness and mobilise funds to complement bold initiatives by the government to reduce the wave of cancers among Ghanaians.
According to the statement, “Achieving our core mandate would require carefully thought out programmes, including the use of brand ambassadors, quiz contests for schools, education programmes in the schools, outdoor advertising, press conferences and the incorporation of social media for effective dissemination of our messages.”
The board, realising the enormity of its mandate, has created four main sub-committees, namely research, education and awareness creation, advocacy and fundraising in furtherance of achieving its set goals.
The statement urged the public to collaborate with the board as members embark on this all important national assignment to put cancers higher on the national platform, prevent the preventable cancers, reduce the overall cancer burden and ensure comprehensive cancer care in our country.
“The board will be all-encompassing, but our focus will be on breast, cervical, childhood and prostate cancers,” the statement added.
A DAILY GUIDE Report