Editorial

Let’s work to eradicate cervical cancer

The Spectator published a story on cervical cancer last week with the headline, “Women asked to screen regularly as cervical cancer claims more lives.”

Cervical cancer is cancer that starts in the cells of the cervix through long-lasting infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) and this mostly occurs in women over age 30.

The story made the case for women to get regular screenings to prevent contracting the disease, which is claiming more lives around the world. Cervical cancer was described as deadly, devastating, and wreaking havoc on families.

Women are the backbone of families and play a crucial role in the socioeconomic advancement of society, making it imperative that they are aware of their health, especially when it comes to screening for cervical cancer.

Records show that, worldwide, 47,500 of the 89,500 infected women in 2020 perished. in line with cervical cancer. According to data from the HPV Information Centre in Ghana, 3,151 new cases of the disease are diagnosed annually.

As if that is not enough, in 2019, the disease claimed 2,103 lives in the country. The rate of infection is alarming and it calls for regular screening as early detection will lead to effective treatment.

The Spectator is concerned about the rate at which women lose their lives through cervical cancer and strongly believes that these deaths could have been avoided if most women were well-informed about the disease.

The deaths should sound a note of warning to the government to focus more attention on cervical cancer and intensify the education on the disease for many women to be well-informed about it.

Although efforts are being made by the government, health institutions and some local and international organisations to raise awareness of the disease it seems there is still much to be done to spread the message widely, especially to communities to forestall these occurrences of deaths.

Thankfully, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has set aside January as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month to create awareness on the disease and to campaign on the need for women to get screened and vaccinated. This is a laudable initiative which needs to be supported by all to help eradicate the disease.

This year’s theme is, “Get informed, get screened, get vaccinated.” The theme is timely as sufficient knowledge about the disease will go a long way to help women follow the methods for its eradication.

The Spectator implores the government to improve its sensitisation efforts by making it a must for all women and also young girls to be screened for cervical cancer regularly to know their status.

We also hope that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) will make it mandatory for clinics, hospitals and all other health centres to check whether patients who visit their health centres have been screened and vaccinated against cervical cancer.

If possible, the cost of screening should be included in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to make it possible for those who cannot afford to benefit from it.

By so doing, it will complement the efforts of WHO and other organisations to raise awareness of the disease and the need for women to get screened and vaccinated.

Women and girls must take the screening and vaccination seriously to stay healthy. Let us help eradicate cervical cancer for women to live healthy lives.

Editorial

Let’s respect the dead

Dear Editor,

Growing up as a young man, I watched how families of deceased persons paid respect to their beloved ones.

Right from the mortuary to the funeral grounds, the mortal remains of the deceased are always handled with respect to honour them.

Most of the time, individuals who visit the mortuary to bring the body of the deceased home were required to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water.

A traditional belief holds that seeing or coming into contact with dead bodies portends a bad omen and may require spiritual cleansing.

However, in recent times, I have seen a number of videos on social media where corpses are handled without care.

In some of these videos, one could see the body of the corpse carried on the shoulders of friends or being made to stand while friends and families touch and take pictures with it.

I find that weird and at the same time disturbing and thinks a lot about the health implications.

According to some health experts, such an act poses a threat to public health as one may not know the cause of the death of the deceased.

Some have predicted that Ghana could face health crisis such as disease transmission as a result of the pathogens present in decomposing bodies, if care was not taken.

As a concerned individual, I share in the view of the health experts.

I believe that if care is not taken, the actions of the youth in handling dead bodies could lead to the spread of diseases.

I, therefore urge the Ghana Health Service to take the issue seriously and address it to avoid any possible future health crisis.

Atom,
Korle-bu

Editorial

Prevent Keta Township from being engulfed by sea

Have you ever dreamed about waking up to discover that everything you own—including your mattress, roof, and all of your memories – has been lost to the sea?

Since the sea has consumed a sizable portion of Keta in the Volta region, the town’s citizens are in a pitiful position. The sooner action is taken to save the town, the better off everyone will be.

The destruction of the Keta by the sea needs to be addressed immediately, or else the township would eventually be submerged under the water.

Our reporter’s visit showed that this once-thriving seaside resort is gradually disappearing. Keta was once a thriving town known for its business, but now some areas are in ruins, with some of the locals looking on in wonder at the destruction caused by the water.

For the residents of Keta, the Atlantic Ocean is no longer a far-off blue horizon. These days, it relentlessly and without invitation circles around their doorsteps, tearing down walls and other structures, erasing memories, and endangering lives.

Many locals have been forced to live with family or friends after the sea destroyed their homes years ago, and other residents find it hard to comprehend that their once-livable habitat is now in ruins.

The problem is that, apart from residences, Keta’s cultural identity being anchored by monuments are gradually disappearing. One remnant of the transatlantic slave trade, the once-imposing Fort Prinzenstein, is now more of a ruin than a monument.

Once more, the ancient cinema where generations of children used to laugh at flickering black-and-white pictures is no longer there, as is the Bremen factory from the colonial era.

Among other things, the original police station has vanished, and Queen Street, which was once the town’s busy backbone, is now a flooded hallway clogged with rubble. There is still more work to be done despite previous attempts to address the issue since the town is fighting while the sea is winning.

Although water is life, in this instance, it is ruining people’s homes. The situation is serious since the water is destroying the town’s past as quickly as it is claiming its future, despite nature taking its course.

But as humans, our Creator has endowed us with the intelligence to solve problems. The historic town of Keta is now shrouded in uncertainty as the remains of a once-inhabited township are submerged and engulfed by the approaching seas along its coast.

Therefore, it is more efficient to have everyone working together to find a long-term solution to this terrible issue