Over 8,000 die from cancer-related diseases in Ghana in 2020 Dr Beatrice Wiafe LISTEN
FEB 4, 2021
Ghana has recorded 8, 037 deaths from cancer-related diseases in 2020, Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, the former Chairperson of the Ghana Cancer Board, has disclosed.
Giving the breakdown, the Consultant Surgeon said out of the figure, 2,055 related to breast cancer, 3, 166 to liver cancer, 1, 117 to prostate and 1, 699 to cervical cancer.
She indicated that in all, about 24,000 cancer-related cases were diagnosed within the period under review.
Dr. (Mrs) Wiafe Addai, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), on the sidelines of the commemoration of the World Cancer Day at Oduom in the Oforikrom Municipality of the Ashanti Region, described cancer as a silent killer.
Cancer killed 15,802 Ghanaians in 2020 -Globacan LISTEN 1
15,802 people were reported dead in Ghana from cancer in 2020, according to Global Cancer, Mortality and Prevalence (Globacan) 2020 report.
The report also estimated that 24,009 new cases of cancers occur annually in Ghana, by the known common cancers, which are breast, liver, cervix, and prostate.
The President of Breast Care International (BCI), Dr. Mrs. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, made the revelation during the celebration of World Cancer Day on Tuesday, February 2021, in Kumasi.
2021 World Cancer Day is led by the theme
“I Am and I Will”
World Cancer Day takes place every year on 4th February to raise awareness and improving education about the disease while calling for action from governments and individuals across the world.
PHOTO: REUTERS/NJERI MWANGI
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on cancer prevention and control in Africa, with immediate and anticipated long-term ramifications. The pandemic reached Africa when the continent was already struggling to deal with a growing cancer crisis, epitomized by more than 1 million new cancer cases and ∼700,000 deaths from cancer per year across Africa (
1). The response to COVID-19 immediately exacerbated the challenges in oncology at different levels including prevention, treatment, and palliative care and will undoubtedly result in increased late-stage presentation of cancer and a surge in mortality. Meanwhile, efforts to address these challenges have highlighted key opportunities where greater investment could substantially increase access to care and avail global oncology.