Ghana
Where We Work Worldwide
Ghana
We are working to build a network of healthcare systems in Ghana to improve early diagnosis and treatment. This work is made possible through the support of: The UBS Optimus Foundation, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, (FCDO), Love Your Melon (LYM), Celgene, and British Foreign School Society (BFSS), amongst other partners.
1,300 children
expected to develop cancer annually in Ghana.
7 hospitals
able to provide childhood cancer treatment and care.
5 trained
paediatric oncology doctors in the country.
Programme Information
Programme
Centres
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi
Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra
Twinning
Centre
Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC), Edinburgh, UK
Programme
Leads
Prof Lorna Awo Renner
Dr Cathy Segbefia
Programme
Mentors
Prof Tim Eden
Dr Emma Johnson
Contact
ni.doodo@worldchildcancer.org
Ghana Programme Manager
Start Date
October 2010
Background
Ghana has two main childhood cancer treatment centres; Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). There are other five Shared Care Centres across the country, with plans for expansion to other regions, so that children can be treated locally without having to travel long distances. Access to healthcare services is limited for much of the population, so there remains a large number of children who are currently not diagnosed.
World Child Cancer has been working with its partners in Ghana since 2010.
Key Activities
- Provide specialist training for healthcare staff and improved the knowledge of early warning signs and symptoms
- Support the costs of diagnosis and treatment for vulnerable families.
- Establish shared care centres around the country to improve referral rates (there are currently five).
- Facilitate the collection of accurate patient data to allow follow-up
- Support adequate staffing at treatment centres, especially for nursing
- Implement community awareness and engagement activities
Problems
- There are only 5 paediatric oncologists to serve the entire population of about 32 million people
- The numbers of children who do not complete treatment are high as childhood cancer treatment is not covered by the country’s health insurance scheme and costs are prohibitive for families
- Knowledge of early warning signs and symptoms amongst frontline health workers is low so many children go undiagnosed
- Communities are largely unaware of childhood cancer and seek traditional healing options or bring children with a late stage of disease when a cure is less likely
- Children from the most vulnerable populations are underserved and less likely to reach the appropriate care
