Ghanaian journalist and broadcaster, Oheneyere Gifty Anti, has advised women to start saving money for constant check of their health status, and most importantly screen for cervical cancer.
According to her, women spent a lot of money on things that were not too necessary, but did not really care of their health and most of the times used the monies that could have been used to ensure quality healthcare for themselves for other material things.
She was speaking at the first seminar and screening of cervical cancer by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) ‘CervCa is Real’, which was held at the Wisconsin International University in Accra on Saturday.
“As a woman, you need to know your health status. You must start saving money for constant check of your health status, you must protect yourselves constantly. Screening might be expensive, but it is worth your life. The days of what you do not know does not kill you are long gone, these days what you do not know might kill you, “Oheneyere said.
She also noticed that most of the times, it was difficult for Ghanaians to speak about cervical cancer, because it centered on the private part of woman, adding that it was more difficult using the local language to educate people on cervical cancer.
Meanwhile, she identified that cervical cancer was deadly and therefore called for the need to educate more women on cervical cancer.
“It is time for us to educate women and speak to the issues as it is,”
At the seminar, a group of paramedics from the health sector in Ghana, launched the NGO, dubbed; "CervCa is real".
The NGO seeks to educate more women about cervical cancer and make screening accessible and affordable to all.
The Founder of the CervCa is real NGO, Ms Rosina Osabu, educated the participants that Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.
She said that cervical cancer was caused by a virus called human papilloma virus (HPV), adding that the HPV was a sexually transmitted infection.
According to her, although it can be prevented and cured at the early stages, its education has not been successful, leaving a lot of women in situations that could expose them to the disease.
Ms Osabu also noted that in Ghana, there were a few organisations that educated women on cervical cancer, or even make screening accessible and affordable for women to know their status.
She explained that to know one's status, one would have to pay more than 200 cedis to test for cervical cancer, a situation that deterred most women from getting screened, because they were unable to afford the fee.
“It is due to this, that the CervCa is Real NGO, has taken it upon ourselves to educate women, and make the screening of cervical cancer accessible and affordable for all Ghanaian women,” she said.” She added.
She however called on government to support the NGO to intensify the education on cervical cancer, while it makes the screening affordable, in order for more women to participate.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori
