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Oral sex can lead to throat cancer – Physician Assistant
● Mrs Cynthia Acromond
It may come as an acquired habit over the years and the possibility of deriving pleasure from it could be great but difficult to be abandoned.
Despite the feelings associated with it, sexual partners who indulge in oral sex risk contracting throat cancer.
Mrs Cynthia Acromond, a Physician Assistant who was the leader of the Cervical Cancer Awareness Creation team at the Volta River Authority (VRA) Aboadze Hospital in the Shama District of the Western Region said contracting cervical cancer could be possible if the sexual partner had the Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) at her genitals.
Giving some statistics, Mrs Acromond told The Spectator that, about 1,140 women aged between 21 and 60 years had been screened from January 2022 to date ( January 2023) at the VRA Hospital.
She said, 35 girls and five boys ,aged between nine and 14 years, had been vaccinated with their first doses and were awaiting second dose.
She disclosed that, one patient whose cancer was at the advanced stage had been referred to Korle- Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) for chemotherapy in 2022.
“We conduct visual inspection with acetic acid dub on the cervix for two to three minutes to see if there is any change ( aceto whitening) which indicates cancer cells on the cervix. We also pap smear. That is, the test done to know if there is intraepithelial malignant cells on the cervix,” Mrs Acromond explained.
She noted that cervical cancer was preventable and that no woman should die as a result of the disease.
She said cervical cancer was sexually transmitted and listed preventive measures such as “safe sex practices abstinence, being faithful to one’s partner and the use of condom if one cannot abstain,”.
Mrs Acromond assured “It is projected that cervical cancer could be eradicated by the year 2100 because of vaccination and screening for pre- cancer disease of the cervix. There are effective vaccines that can be given prophylactically.”
She said,” Early detection is treatable; that is why we are preaching prevention.
Which include vaccination, safe sex practices, sex education tailored to age and culture while secondary prevention, involves screening. Tertiary prevention involves treatment of the disease, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.”
The District Director of Health, Judith Naa Deide Okine, also advised the public against multiple sex partners, adding “ We need everybody on board to assist in the campaign in order to “avoid deaths caused by cervical cancer.”
The Medical Superintendent at the VRA Aboadze Hospital, Dr Taurus Valmont, said one strategy was to rope in commercial sex workers since they were predisposed to cervical cancers.
From Clement Adzei Boye, Aboadze
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Youth urged to take proactive stance on ozone depletion
•Mr Joseph Amankwah, first counting from, some officials from EPA and UNDP in group picture with the student
Mr Joseph Amankwah, the Director of Ozone Layer and Climate Change at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has urged the youth to take a proactive stance on issues related to ozone depletion, emphasising that their future would be most affected by its consequences.
Speaking during a student engagement event at the Ghana Secondary School (GHANASS) in Koforidua, he highlighted the critical role young people played in tackling climate-related challenges.
Mr Amankwah explained that human activities, such as the use of certain chemicals, were significantly contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer and driving climate change.
He said it was important to educate the youth on these issues, encouraging them to share this knowledge with their families to foster a broader understanding and active participation in climate action.
He urged the education sector to integrate lessons on the ozone layer, the causes of its depletion, and its links to climate change into the curriculum.
The event, organised by the EPA in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was designed to foster environmental awareness and promote a sense of responsibility among young people.
Mr Amankwah noted that ozone layer depletion was affecting everyone, including children, as it alters weather patterns and threatens the natural environment.
He highlighted the need for young people to develop ‘green skills’ to adapt to the challenges of climate change and to understand ways to combat it.
He added that World Ozone Day, observed every September, would focus on youth engagement in environmental issues, to help them understand the long-term consequences of ozone depletion and climate change.
Mr Amankwah also discussed the harmful impact of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a major chemical contributor to ozone depletion.
He explained that household appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners were common sources of CFC emissions in Ghana.
Many uncertified technicians work on these appliances, often releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere due to improper handling, he noted.
To address this, he urged appliance repairers to obtain proper certification and training, emphasising that unqualified repairs not only harm the environment but also endangered public health.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman,
Koforidua
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Small-scale miners schooled on health hazards of mining with mercury
Mr Lovelace Sarpong (right) addressing the participants
Some Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners in the Ashanti and Central regions have been sensitised on the potential health dangers humans are exposed to with the use of mercury in gold processing.
The sensitisation which was organised by PlanetGOLD Ghana project was to raise awareness about the negative impacts on the use of mercury in mining activities.
According to the PlanetGOLD Ghana Project Coordinator, Mr Lovelace Sarpong, the use of mercury in artisanal small-scale mining pose health challenges that affects the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys; and may be fatal.
Some Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) that benefited from the exercise were Amansie Central, Asante Akim North, Amansie South, Amansie West, Bekwai, and Adansi North in the Ashanti Region, and Upper Denkyira East (Dunkwa-on-Offin) and Upper Denkyira West (Diaso) in the Central Region.
Additionally, he said inorganic salts of mercury were corrosive to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract, and may induce kidney toxicity if ingested.
He stated that the PlanetGOLD Project has conducted several initiatives to raise awareness on reducing mercury exposure among artisanal and small-scale gold mining actors in the country.
It was to promote mercury-free mining practices in line with Ghana’s obligations under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, support the formalisation of the ASGM sector while advocating the adoption of the CRAFT Code and responsible supply chains, and raise awareness on the availability of mercury-free alternatives.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Area Head for Konongo, Mr Dawood Abbas, underscored the importance of government’s environmental regulations and EPA’s role in ensuring compliance within the ASGM sector.
He encouraged miners to prioritise environmental stewardship to gain community trust and secure a Social License to Operate (SLO) and reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to enforce its commitments under the Minamata Convention.
BY Cecilia Lagba Yada
