A medical doctor, Dr Naa Sodzi-Tettey, has called on men to support and encourage the women in their lives to get tested for cervical cancer.

Her advice comes on the heels of the fact that cervical cancer is estimated to claim over 1500 female lives annually in Ghana but advocacy on the need for prevention is usually on the low.

Dr Sodzi-Tettey gave the advice at the launch of the Akatasia campaign in Accra. The campaign, initiated by Genet Services, seeks to bring to the fore issues concerning female health needs and to save women from cancers such as cervical cancer.

According to Dr Sodzi-Tettey, who was representing the Medical Women Association of Ghana at the launch, although cervical cancer affects only women, it has the tendency of affecting the entire family.

“Testing for cervical cancer is simple but not simple, because we are talking about a woman who is feeling alright going to lie down and exposing her private places and then we put instruments in place and take a sample that we need to take to the laboratory for examination. That is not an easy thing to do. So when we talk about cervical cancer prevention, we want the men to be involved,” she stated.

“Men should encourage women in their lives – their mothers, wives, sisters – to get tested and when the test is done properly, people should always be told when to go back for the next screening. So the take-home message is that cervical cancer concerns everybody, it affects the woman’s body but it affects everybody.”