CDA Consult marks Cervical Cancer Awareness Day

Dr Prince Kofi Kludjeson, Board Chairman, Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) has stated that early detection of cervical abnormalities through screening is a critical component of cervical cancer elimination and called for up-scaled efforts to combat it.

He explained that current estimates indicate that every year, 2,797 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 1,699 die from the disease.

Speaking on the cervical cancer awareness campaign, the CDA Consult Board Chairman noted that statistics from the World Health Survey indicate that cervical cancer screening rates in urban and rural areas in Ghana are extremely low (3.2 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively).

Dr. Kludjeson, who is also the President of Celltel Networks Limited, quoted the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy, which stipulates that women be screened twice, ideally at ages 35 and 45, with a high-performance test.

He stated that CDA Consult, which is a development communication advocacy non-governmental organisation, is rallying stakeholders to launch a relentless national advocacy campaign to battle cervical cancer.

He added that CDA Consult aims to bring together health professionals, human rights advocates, gender activists, religion adherents, and communication practitioners to embark on a new model of advocacy throughout the year.

He acknowledges that progress has been made in spreading cervical cancer awareness; nonetheless, "as we approach the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal threshold for cervical cancer eradication, we need to scale up our efforts through a comprehensive national action involving both state and non-state actors."

Dr Kludjeson, a former President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), stressed that infection by high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes over 99 percent of cervical cancers, can be prevented by safe and effective vaccines.

He said that as part of the WHO recommendation, girls between 9 and 14 years of age receive two doses of the HPV vaccine as a form of prevention, stressing that “we need collective efforts to deal with cervical cancer.

Mr Francis Ameyibor, Executive Director of Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult, recounted that Member States of the WHO approved an ambitious strategy in November 2020 to accelerate the global elimination of cervical cancer through the scale-up of effective interventions.

According to WHO data, US$ 94.7 million was invested in HPV vaccination programmes, and US$ 66.6 million was invested in cervical cancer screening and treatment programmes in 2021, both representing large increases over 2020.

Despite these increases, at the current pace, only around $1.6 billion, or 15 percent of the $10.5 billion necessary to achieve 2030 targets for cervical cancer elimination in low- and lower-middle-income countries, will be mobilised.

Mr Ameyibor, a former Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Manager, said CDA Consult is to roll out a relentless advocacy campaign to combat cervical cancer in the country and also draw global attention to the slow pace of achieving the 2030 target and the need for scaling up the process.

The CDA Consult Executive Director stated that the project would be launched by the end of the first quarter of this year and urged interested companies to contact CDA Consult at [email protected].

Mr. Ameyibor explained that during the launch, the national programme would outline the modalities for the Change Paradigm Advocacy campaign for free cervical cancer vaccinations, advocacy, and scaling up prevention, detection, and treatment to eliminate cervical cancer in Ghana.

World Cervical Cancer Awareness Month is a global healthcare event observed for the entire month of January every year. It aims to raise awareness of cervical cancer globally.

Various international and local groups have joined together to raise awareness of cervical cancer through multiple campaigns and activities to emphasise the importance of early cervical cancer diagnosis, treatment, and preventive recommendations.

This year, the Cervical Health Awareness Month theme is "Learn, Prevent, Screen,” to emphasise the necessity of educating people with knowledge about minimising cervical cancer risks and the life-saving importance of regular screenings.

-CDA Consult II Contributor