Health

Joe-Nat Clegg Lamptey Advocates for National Breast Cancer Centre to Improve Care in Ghana

A professor of surgery at the University of Ghana Medical School, Joe-Nat Clegg Lamptey, has proposed the creation of a specialised Breast Cancer Centre of Excellence to enhance diagnosis, treatment and patient support services across the country.

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Delivering his inaugural lecture at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra, Prof. Lamptey explained that such a facility would centralise all essential services, allowing patients to access care in one location instead of moving between multiple hospitals and clinics.

He noted that a dedicated centre would integrate expertise from surgeons, radiologists, laboratory specialists and counsellors, along with imaging and treatment services, thereby ensuring faster, more coordinated care and improved patient outcomes.

The lecture, titled “The Breast—Blessing or Curse? Mitigating the Scourge of Breast Cancer in Ghana,” attracted a diverse audience, including professionals from academia, healthcare, business, and traditional leadership. Among the dignitaries present were Isabella Akyinbab Quakyi, President of the Academy, and Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department.

Prof. Lamptey emphasised that breast cancer remains one of the leading health challenges affecting women in Ghana. While highlighting the biological and social importance of the breast—such as its roles in nutrition, immunity and maternal bonding—he warned that rising cases of breast cancer threaten these benefits.

He attributed the increasing incidence to factors such as ageing populations, changing lifestyles linked to westernisation, and reproductive patterns including delayed childbirth.

To address the challenge, he called for intensified public education, early detection initiatives and improved treatment systems. According to him, establishing a one-stop breast cancer centre would significantly strengthen the country’s response by enabling patients to consult specialists, receive counselling and undergo diagnostic tests such as mammograms and scans within a single facility.

He concluded that a more coordinated and accessible approach to care is essential to reducing the burden of breast cancer and improving survival outcomes in Ghana.