Omanghana
Global healthcare company MSD (Merck & Co.), in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and Africa Health Business (AHB), has urged women across Ghana to prioritize regular cervical cancer screening as part of efforts to improve early detection and reduce deaths associated with the disease.
The call was made during a high-level policy dialogue and media briefing at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, where healthcare professionals, oncology experts, policymakers and private-sector stakeholders discussed sustainable approaches to preventing and managing cancers affecting women.
Participants emphasized that cervical cancer remains largely preventable, particularly when women have access to appropriate screening, early diagnosis and timely treatment.
Early Detection Can Save Lives
Speaking at the engagement, Vuyo Mjekula, Director of External Affairs for MSD Sub-Saharan Africa, stressed that early detection remains one of the most effective tools for reducing the impact of cervical cancer.
She explained that routine screening gives healthcare professionals an opportunity to identify precancerous changes before they develop into invasive cancer.
Detecting abnormalities at an early stage can substantially improve treatment outcomes and, in some cases, allow healthcare professionals to intervene before cancer develops.
Mjekula said collaboration among the private sector, Ghana Health Service and civil society organizations is essential to ensuring that accurate information and screening opportunities reach women beyond major healthcare facilities.
The goal, she indicated, is to bring awareness and accessible services closer to communities so that more women can take preventive action before symptoms develop.
GHS Intensifies Cervical Cancer Education
The Ghana Health Service is also stepping up public education as it seeks to address low screening rates and misconceptions surrounding cervical cancer.
Dr. Wallace Odiko-Ollenu, Programmes Manager at the GHS Non-Communicable Disease Control Programme, said awareness remains critical because women may not recognize the importance of screening when they feel healthy.
Cervical cancer can develop without obvious symptoms during its early stages, making routine screening particularly important.
The GHS is therefore working to educate women about when they should seek screening and where services can be accessed within Ghana’s primary and secondary healthcare system.
The education campaign also seeks to address hesitancy and other barriers that discourage some women from undergoing screening.
Health authorities want cervical cancer prevention to become a routine part of women’s healthcare rather than something patients seek only after experiencing symptoms.
Women Diagnosed With Cancer to Receive Patient Navigation Support
Beyond screening and diagnosis, the Ghana Health Service says efforts are being made to ensure women who test positive receive appropriate support throughout their treatment journey.
Dr. Odiko-Ollenu explained that trained healthcare navigators are available to guide diagnosed patients through referrals and connect them with specialized oncology services.
Navigating cancer treatment can be difficult for patients, particularly when specialist care is available only at selected facilities.
Patient navigation is intended to reduce the risk of women becoming lost within the referral system or abandoning treatment because they are uncertain about where to obtain further care.
The initiative is particularly important for patients travelling from communities without specialist oncology facilities.
Ghana Medical Trust Fund Could Ease Treatment Costs
The financial burden associated with advanced cancer treatment was another major issue highlighted during the engagement.
Dr. Odiko-Ollenu pointed to financial protection mechanisms such as the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, which is intended to provide support to eligible patients facing high costs associated with treating serious chronic diseases.
Cancer treatment can place considerable financial pressure on patients and their families, particularly when advanced diagnostics, medicines and specialized therapies are required.
Strengthening financial protection is therefore considered an important component of improving cancer survival rates alongside screening and treatment infrastructure.
Cervical Cancer Remains Major Threat to Ghanaian Women
Cervical cancer is regarded as the second most common cancer affecting women in Ghana, contributing to thousands of diagnoses and a significant number of deaths.
One of the major challenges has been low participation in routine screening.
Screening uptake has historically been estimated at below 10% in some assessments, with barriers including limited awareness, cost concerns, fear of diagnosis and inadequate access to testing facilities, particularly in underserved communities.
The absence of noticeable symptoms during the early stages can also cause women to delay seeking medical attention until the disease has progressed.
Health professionals maintain that expanding screening could substantially change this pattern by identifying women at risk much earlier.
Partnership Supports Ghana’s Universal Health Coverage Goals
The collaboration involving MSD, GHS and Africa Health Business forms part of broader efforts to strengthen prevention and management of non-communicable diseases in Ghana.
It also supports national ambitions to integrate preventive services such as cervical cancer screening and HPV-related interventions more effectively into routine healthcare.
Expanding these services through primary healthcare facilities could make screening more accessible to women who might otherwise have to travel considerable distances for testing.
The initiative also aligns with Ghana’s wider health financing and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) objectives, which seek to improve access to essential healthcare services while protecting families from excessive medical expenses.
For health authorities and their partners, the message to Ghanaian women is straightforward: cervical cancer screening should not wait until symptoms appear.
Regular screening, greater awareness and timely follow-up after abnormal results can identify potentially dangerous changes earlier, improve treatment outcomes and ultimately save lives.
Source: Omanghana
