Accra: The Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA CONSULT) has called on African governments to urgently adopt transformative health strategies to eliminate cervical cancer, emphasizing the importance of not losing more lives to this preventable disease. Mr. Francis Ameyibor, Executive Director of CDA CONSULT, highlighted the need for African governments to prioritize holistic healthcare and implement mass Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programmes to combat cervical cancer across the continent.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Ameyibor made these remarks during an engagement organized by CDA CONSULT in collaboration with Lifeline Haven Company Limited and Caritas Christi Hospital as part of the activities to mark the 2025 Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Cervical cancer ranks as the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide, with Africa bearing a significant burden. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 70,000 cervical cancer deaths could be prevented annually in Africa if efforts to eliminate the disease are intensified.
Mr. Ameyibor lauded 29 African countries for integrating HPV vaccination into their national vaccination programmes but expressed concern over the slow progress towards eliminating cervical cancer by 2030. He urged the remaining African countries to address the issue urgently and initiate the necessary legal and policy reforms to incorporate HPV vaccination into their national immunization systems.
The Executive Director of CDA CONSULT underscored the need for a comprehensive approach to achieve the goal of eliminating cervical cancer in Africa by 2030. This includes enhancing HPV vaccination coverage, improving cervical cancer screening, strengthening healthcare systems, and promoting awareness and education.
Mr. Ameyibor emphasized the importance of collective action, stating that governments, healthcare providers, and communities must prioritize cervical cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. CDA CONSULT, in partnership with other organizations, has launched a five-year advocacy project aimed at lobbying the government to make HPV vaccination free in Ghana and raising awareness about cervical cancer.
The project also calls for support from both international and local companies to help achieve its objectives. As part of its advocacy plan, CDA CONSULT has initiated a comprehensive cervical cancer awareness programme across Ghana, including workshops in all 16 regional capitals and extending advocacy to approximately 60 percent of district capitals.
Mr. Ameyibor, a development communication advocate, highlighted that CDA CONSULT would also organize workshops for health professionals on holistic healthcare approaches to cervical cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. The organization also plans to train media practitioners on sensitive health reporting to promote accurate and stigma-free coverage of cervical cancer issues.
These initiatives aim to educate communities, healthcare providers, and media practitioners about cervical cancer, its causes, symptoms, and prevention strategies. Mr. Ameyibor stressed the need to increase access to HPV vaccination, especially for girls and women in rural and underserved areas, and to enhance screening programmes for early detection of cervical cancer, when it is more treatable.
He concluded by advocating for robust healthcare systems that can provide comprehensive care, including prevention, detection, and treatment of cervical cancer, and educating communities about its causes, symptoms, and prevention strategies. By working together and adopting a multi-faceted approach, Ghana and Africa can make significant strides in eliminating cervical cancer and saving thousands of lives. Through promoting awareness, improving healthcare services, and encouraging sensitive media reporting, CDA CONSULT aims to contribute significantly to eliminating cervical cancer in Ghana and beyond.
