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First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo called on all stakeholders to come together to fight cancers in Ghana and Africa.
"Nobody can do it. There must be synergy between universities, health professionals, civil society organizations, pharmaceutical companies, governments, payers, patients and many others, "she said. .
"We must each play our roles, while complementing the roles of other stakeholders. In this battle we are all on one side with a common enemy. "
"If we have to win, we have to get together and work together."
Ms. Akufo-Addo spoke at a conference on cancer in Accra, organized by the Association of Ethical Pharmaceutical Industry Representatives, a group of multinational pharmaceutical companies operating in Ghana, in collaboration with the Union for the fight against International Cancer Research Center (UICC), the world's largest fight against cancer organization.
Access Accelerated, comprised of biopharmaceutical companies committed to addressing the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries, also supported the conference.
It was organized as part of the activities marking this year's World Cancer Day, celebrated every year on February 4, and attended by Princess Dina Mired, Princess of Jordan and President of UICC.
Other cancer stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, oncologists, surgeons and patient groups, also participated in discussions on relevant cancer issues.
Akufo-Addo said the country should invest in funding and training more health professionals to develop the skills needed to manage cancer cases.
The 2014-2017 National Cancer Control Strategy indicates that seven out of ten women diagnosed with bad cancer each year in Ghana will die from it, compared with two out of ten women in developed countries such as United States of America.
Prostate cancer is said to be as devastating as Ghanaian men, while childhood cancers are also killing a lot of Ghanaian children.
A report published in 2018 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer also indicates that nearly 23,000 new cancer cases are registered each year in Ghana.
Of these, more than 15,000 people die each year.
Ms. Akufo-Addo called for the intensification of awareness of all types of cancers, at any time and on any occasion, stating: "We can not rest or tire of talking about cancers, until 39 that all relevant stakeholders take appropriate measures to help meet the challenge of all forms of the disease.
She regretted that most of the time, people could not afford a cure for cancer. speaker consultation on the appropriate funding mechanism for cancer treatment in the country to help provide quality care to patients who suffer from it.
"Cancer is a problem today, but it does not have to stay that way. We have everything we need to overcome it. I have hope and you should do the same. "
"Let's continue to innovate and think differently, the way we do things and I'm sure we'll be back here very soon, we'll caress the shoulder and say we beat cancer and won. "
Princess Dina Mired, for her part, lamented that the number of cancer deaths is increasing, especially in Africa, while in other countries, no cancer has occurred.
She emphasized that access to quality care and prevention and awareness were key steps needed to stop cancer deaths.
She urged people to change their lifestyle by eating junk food and to avoid the stigma of cancer, while governments also needed to put in place the necessary regulations backed by political action for the fight against cancer.
Dr. Joel Yarney, a radiation oncologist at Korle-Bu University Hospital, said that 5% of Ghana's population now suffers from all forms of cancer, which were part of noncommunicable diseases, and that this number has increased among Ghanaians.
He therefore advised Ghanaians to lead healthy lives, eat well and receive regular medical care to enable them to live long and healthy lives.
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