HPV is a common viral sexually transmitted infection (STI) with high-risk types being the primary cause of cervical cancer, which is the fourth most common cancer in women globally.

In Ghana, latest estimates from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) indicates that 3,072 women were diagnosed of the condition in 2022 with 1,815 succumbing to it.

Dr Efua Commeh, the Pro­gramme Manager for Non-com­municable Disease (NCD) at the GHS, speaking to the Ghanaian Times yesterday as part of this year’s “CC Awareness Month”, said despite advocacy on the dis­ease over the years, only three per cent of Ghana’s female population have ever screened for CC.

“We are losing over 50 per cent of our women diagnosed of cervical cancer largely due to late reporting. Over 75 per cent of our cases coming in at stages three and four which is very advanced, ac­counting for our mortality rates,” she disclosed.

“For women, once you have ever been sexually active you are at risk of HPV, because high-risk types like what causes cervical can­cer can stay between 15 to 20 years before symptoms begin to show so if you screen at least once in every three years, (we recommend from age 21 years above), we can detect any abnormality around the cervix early and treatment can be given early,” Dr Commeh advised.

The Programme Manager, while encouraging women to “see screening as an investment into your health”, disclosed that the GHS had concluded talks with the National Health Insurance Au­thority (NHIA) to make screening readily available later this year, as part of a national NCD package under the scheme.

“Discussions have long started to ensure that screening is made readily available as part of the preventive NCD package on the NHIS which was introduced last year, on your birth month, the month in which you celebrate your birthday, you walk into any health facility with your card and request for a screening so they are enrolling the diseases gradually; we have started with hypertension and diabetes and soon that of cervical cancer will come on board.”

Dr Commeh further revealed that Ghana was set to commence vaccination for HPV for girl’s aged nine to 14 years, this year to offer protection against cervical cancer before they enter into sexual activity.

“Let me emphasise that the vaccines are available in Ghana, but on commercial basis so some pharmacies actually have it that individuals have to buy, but it’s expensive.

Because we want to make it routinely available, we are incor­porating it into the Expanded Programme for Immunisation (EPI) and hopefully, this year it should begin. If we are able to vaccinate our girls, then we would have an opportunity to ultimately even eliminate cervical cancer so all the deaths that we are recording are going to be saved because they are not going to come down with the disease at all,” she noted.

Cervical cancer is a cancer that starts in the cells of the cervix; the lower, narrow end of the uterus (womb) and the second leading cause of cancer in women in Gha­na, after breast cancer.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2022 estimated around 660,000 new cases of cervical can­cer globally with 350,000 deaths.

Vaginal bleeding and discharges, pain in the pelvis, menstrual bleed­ing, difficulty in urinating, weight loss, fatigue and loss of appetite are some symptoms of cervical cancer.