KMA, Osei Assibey Antwi
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) made history by becoming the first city in Africa and the fourth in the world, to be selected as part of the City Cancer Challenge (C/CAN 2025) project.
An initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the C/CAN 2025, is a multi-sectorial project that supports selected cities to design, plan and implement cancer treatment solutions.
The KMA beat other vibrant cities in the world which were eager to be selected to be part of the C/CAN 2025 project in order to derive immense benefits.
Cities that are selected to be part of the C/CAN 2025 project are periodically given technical and financial support from UICC to position them properly to be able to fight cancers of all forms.
World Cancer Summit
The KMA was declared the fourth city in the world to be part of the C/CAN 2025 project during the 2017 World Cancer Leaders’ Summit, which was held at Palacio De Mineria, Mexico City, Mexico, in North America in November, 2017.
Ghana was represented at the programme by the Kumasi Mayor Osei Assibey Antwi, Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman Manu, Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei Mensah and Dr Baffuor Awuah of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), among others.
Standing Ovation
The Ghanaian delegation was given a standing ovation by the other attendants of the programme when Kumasi was declared the first city in Africa to be selected to be part of the C/CAN 2025 project.
Dr Dennis Laryea, Programmes Manager for Non-Communicable Diseases, Ghana Health Service (GHS), who also made the trip to Mexico, stated that the KMA was selected on merit because it submitted quality proposal.
According to him, the assembly was selected because Kumasi boasts of a National Cancer Treatment Center and Cancer Registry facility.
MoU
Dr Laryea disclosed that the KMA/Ghana and UICC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) from 2018 to 2020.
According to him, during the three-year period, the UICC would provide the KMA with technical and financial support, which would be geared towards making Kumasi a self-reliant city in the prevention and control of cancer.
Dr Laryea said UICC would periodically visit Kumasi to assess the prevention and treatment of cancer in the city, adding that the project could be extended to other cities in Ghana based on its performance.
He stated that the selection of KMA as a member of the C/CAN 2025 project is a boost for the city and Ghana in general, stressing that KMA’s achievement would go a long way to enhance the prevention and treatment of cancer in the country.
Dr Laryea said an executive committee, which comprise representatives from all the major stakeholders in the fight against cancer in the country, would soon be formed.
From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi