Intercontinental Bank supports health care services

Intercontinental Bank Ghana (IBG) Limited has presented over GH¢12, 000 to two health institutions.

The institutions are the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Department of Child Care, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra.

The amount will be used for the refurbishment of the Child Care Unit of the hospital, while that of the MoH will also be directed toward creating awareness of the dangers and means of preventing of cervical cancer which is killing many women in the country.

Akwasi Effah-Adu, Divisional Head, Corporate Banking, IBG, presenting the cheque said the bank’s core mandate is based on health care support as well as improving health care standards of the underprivileged in the communities where it operates.

“The bank’s contribution is to help raise awareness on such conditions aimed at bringing relief on women and mothers,” he said.

Dr. Sylvester Anenana, Chief Director, Ministry of Health receiving the cheque thanked management of the Bank for their kind gesture.

He indicated that the amount would help advocate and create awareness about the deadly effects associated with cervical and breast cancer among women in Ghana.

“If we are to prevent and eventually stop breast and cervical cancers in Africa, knowledge and detection of possible signs of the disease will contribute immensely towards combatting them as they are fast-emerging as a global threat to women’s health,” he said.

Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that cervical cancer has been the leading cause of cancers in women in Ghana, with 18 percent of deaths resulting from the disease.

Statistics indicate that a woman dies of cervical cancer every two minutes, and that approximately 80 percent of deaths occur in developing countries as a result weak or non-existent cervical cancer screening and treatment programmes.

Dr. Anenana revealed that Ghana will host the Fourth ‘Stop Cervical Cancer in Africa’ conference from July 25 - 27 to advocate for increased awareness on cervical cancer in Africa and reduce the stigma of people suffering from the disease.

The conference will offer Ghana an opportunity to showcase programmes, projects and efforts made to combat breast and cervical cancer and also network with other African first ladies, parliamentarians, ministers of health and other relevant stakeholders such as traditional leaders and survivors to mobilise and strategise to combat cancers which were emerging as global threats.