Government plans to acquire mammography and radiotherapy equipment for breast cancer care

Pinned summary · as of 15:20

The Deputy Health Minister, Prof. Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, launched the 2026 Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Monday under the theme "Early Action, Better Outcomes." She announced plans to acquire scanning and treatment machinery to address gaps in cancer care, while warning that public education efforts will have little impact without dependable access to the services women need.

What we know

• Prof. Ayensu-Danquah stressed that raising public awareness of breast cancer symptoms has little effect if patients who seek help cannot find the diagnostic or treatment services they require. "Awareness without access is not enough," she said.
• Breast cancer leads all cancers among Ghanaian women, with the deputy minister citing roughly 4,650 new diagnoses and about 2,060 deaths each year.
• Ghana's approach to breast cancer follows guidance from the World Health Organisation's Global Breast Cancer Initiative, which emphasises health promotion, early detection, rapid diagnosis and full treatment.
• The deputy minister dispelled the misconception that a biopsy causes cancer to spread. She explained that when mammograms or ultrasound scans show suspicious features, a tissue sample examined under a microscope confirms the diagnosis and helps doctors determine the cancer type and choose treatment.
• Prof. Ayensu-Danquah urged women to watch for breast lumps, skin or nipple changes, nipple discharge and armpit swelling, and to seek medical attention promptly. She stressed that painless lumps should not be ignored.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Prof. Ayensu-Danquah said the government intends to procure mammography and radiotherapy equipment to fill gaps in screening, diagnosis and care for breast cancer patients across Ghana; no second independent source has confirmed this plan.
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  A 2026 assessment by the Ghana Medical Trust Fund found that public hospitals held only five mammography machines and two radiotherapy units, according to MyJoyOnline; the figures have not been confirmed by other reports.
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  Radiation treatment for breast cancer was available at only three hospitals nationwide, a recent review of care in Ghana found; no second source has verified this figure.
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  The Ghana Medical Trust Fund, known popularly as Mahama Cares, helps women undergoing breast cancer treatment by funding researchers, specialists and the costs patients face, with each region having a coordinator to assist women through chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, according to MyJoyOnline; these details have not been confirmed by other reports.
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  Prof. Ayensu-Danquah said women with evidence of a breast cancer diagnosis are eligible for support with treatment costs through the fund; this has not been confirmed by independent sources.
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  Prof. Ayensu-Danquah said the government is funding research to better understand which types of breast cancer are most common in Ghana; no second source has confirmed this initiative.

Why it matters for Ghana

Breast cancer affects thousands of Ghanaian families each year and claims more lives than any other cancer among women, but early detection and timely treatment can improve survival. Most women in Ghana live far from the few hospitals with radiotherapy, so expanding equipment across regions would let more patients reach care quickly. Affordability through the Mahama Cares fund removes a barrier for many households, but only if the machines and trained staff are available regionally. The deputy minister's emphasis on access matters because awareness alone—without enough scanners, treatment capacity and timely diagnosis—leaves women diagnosed with breast cancer facing delays that can be fatal.