No Woman Should Die from Breast And Cervical Cancers - Mrs Mahama

First Lady, Mrs. Lordina Dramani Mahama, has said that she would support the government to ensure that all cancer patients in the country receive adequate treatment, adding that no woman should die from breast and cervical cancers as a result of lack of treatment or out of ignorance. Mrs. Mahama, who is participating in the 7th Stop Cervical Cancer in Africa Conference in Maputo, Mozambique, reminded Africa leaders and Africa First Ladies together with development partners that there is no second chance to save the lives of breast and cervical cancer patient. �This is the time,� she indicated. The First Lady said as women they have a higher responsibility than their male counterparts to ensuring that they combat the high incidence of breast and cervical cancer diseases. Stressing that, they need to commit themselves, as women leaders to ensure that �no women dies as a result of lack of preventable programmes or out of ignorance.� Mrs. Mahama told the conference that Ghana has made significant progress on combating breast cancer, especially in early detection and treatment of breast cancer, using clinical breast examination as the mode of breast screening at various facilities and also at family planning centres. According to her, the Ministry of Health has secured 64,000 doses of the HPV vaccine for a pilot programme. Findings from the pilot exercise, she said, will be used to develop a programme for the entire country. Government according to her, recently produced and installed a mammogram at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, and that it is government�s policy to replicate his in all hospitals in the country. The First Lady further told the conference that Ghana has prepared a national cancer registry and a strategic plan for prevention and control of cancers. In spite of the progress made, Mrs. Mahama however stated that Ghana still faces some challenges in the fight against breast and carnival caners. These, she said, include low public awareness about carnival cancer and its prevention, even among medical personnel; late reporting to health facilities, limited resources for screening, shortage of health personnel. Treatment, she observed, is also expensive and not available in most health facilities across the country. Mrs. Mahama said that the Government of Ghana is working on a National Policy to increase the number if trained personnel for screening, increase awareness, reduce stigma, mobilize resources, and ensure effective case management, data collation and management. She assured participants that Ghana Government, under the National Health Insurance Scheme, will continue to ensure timely access to treatment for breast cancer patients. The conferencing was co-organized by the Government of Mozambique and the Princess Nikky Breast Cancer Foundation which aims to draw attention to the participants and to the world, about the need to accelerate the implementation of measures to eliminate the Non-Communicable Disease as is the case of Cervical Cancer, Breast and Prostate. The conference, held at the Joaquim Chissano International Conference Center with the theme: �Moving Forward to save lives�, was attended by Africa First Ladies, Ministers of Health, African Parliamentarians, Scientists, Civil Society Organizations and the HRH Infanta Cristna, Princess of Barcelona, Spain.