A resident in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Tamale Teaching Hospital, Dr. Freda Karbo, says about 10 women in Bolgatanga have been diagnosed with cervical cancer within the past month, underscoring what she describes as the growing burden of the disease.
Dr. Karbo, who has been working in the Upper East Region in recent months, raised concern about the situation during an interview on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East show, calling cervical cancer “a silent menace in Ghana.”
She cited global data to illustrate the scale of the problem, noting that more than 660,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide in 2022, with about 350,000 deaths recorded. She added that cervical cancer ranks as the fourth most common cancer among women globally.
“In many countries that have strong screening and early detection systems, cases are identified early and managed,” she said. “But when we come to Ghana, we are still gathering a lot of data, and there is no comprehensive national database.”
According to her, available local studies indicate that more than 3,000 women in Ghana have been diagnosed with cervical cancer, with over 1,000 deaths recorded.
Dr. Karbo said the 10 recent diagnoses in Bolgatanga within a month suggest that expanded screening efforts could reveal many more undetected cases.
“In Ghana, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women after breast cancer, yet awareness remains very low,” she said.
She called for increased advocacy, education and screening services across the region to help detect cases early and reduce deaths linked to the disease.
Source: A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith | Bolgatanga
