Ghana's First Lady shares success story in fight against cancers


First Lady Mrs. Lordina Mahama has presented Ghana's side of successes chalked up in the fight against Breast and Cervical cancer in the country. 

Speaking at the 10th Stop Cervical, Breast and Prostate Cancer conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mrs. Lordina Mahama mentioned interventions such as periodic screening and education which has culminated in the training of thirty primary care nurses in the three regions of the North.

These trained professionals provide routine breast and cervical cancer checks before they are referred to cancer centers in the country, and also providing the necessary equipment for hospitals and health centers especially in rural and deprived communities in Ghana.

 
She noted that the future is bright in the fight against cancer as her foundation which has integrated breast and cervical cancer into its advocacy activities is determined to intensify its campaign in other areas.

Since 2013, First Lady Lordina Mahama has worked with the Ghana AIDS Commission to bring integrated HIV and AIDS, Sexual Reproductive health, Breast and Cervical cancer services to seven out of ten regions in Ghana.

The inclusion of HIV and AIDS during such health outreach programs is because people infected with HIV are more susceptible to developing cancers.

Therefore during these outreaches, the First Lady engages directly with leaders, members of that community to advocate for more people to know their status and start early treatment. 

During her interactions the First Lady took the opportunity to also advice against lifestyles which are harmful to these diseases. 

These continuous interaction has yielded positive results as people who have been diagnosed with breast and cervical cancers are been treated in various hospitals and health centers in the country.

Again it has also reduced the number of people dying from isolation and unknown causes of cancer. 

First Lady Mahama noted that the foundation will continue with its outreach programs to reach more people especially in the rural areas.

Mrs. Lordina noted that the strategic Plan for the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV AND AIDS in Africa for 2014 to 2018 places more importance on cervical cancer as a lone programme and as President of OAFLA she pledged to continue to champion this cause.

She reiterated her commitment to provide equipment while intensifying screening on all forms of cancers and HIV AND AIDs in every area of the country significantly. 

She charged her colleague First Ladies to also continue their advocacy programs in the fight against this disease in their respective countries.

First Ladies from Chad, Mozambique, Zambia, Sudan, Somalia ,Kenya Burkina Faso and host country Ethiopia attended the conference.

GBC