Korle Bu surgeon warns breast cancer surge, asks for centers

Dr Josephine Nsaful, a general surgeon at Korle‑Bu’s Breast Cancer Unit, urged the government on Dec 8, 2025 to establish more cancer centres nationwide as Ghana records roughly six hundred new breast‑cancer cases each year.

The unit, which also treats patients already living with the disease, sees about six hundred fresh diagnoses annually, a figure that Dr Nsaful described as “quite concerning and alarming.” The surge has placed immense pressure on the nation’s largest referral hospital.

She explained that the rising patient load has stretched Korle‑Bu’s capacity, leading to some of the longest clinic days in the surgical department. “We have one of the longest clinic days in the surgical department,” she said, emphasizing the need for additional centres to share the burden.

According to Dr Nsaful, expanding cancer treatment hubs would not only relieve teaching hospitals but also make care more accessible to Ghanaians across the regions. Decentralising services would also lower travel expenses for patients from remote areas.

At the launch of the Dzidula Breast Cancer Foundation, survivor and founder Fafa Gozo highlighted the financial hardships many patients face. “I have people in that room who, because of stigmatisation, do not want to be interviewed, but believe you me, they are going through a lot of financial challenges. Their treatment is often interrupted. They go today and tomorrow, and then they have to take a long break, and that does not help them,” she said, adding that the government cannot shoulder the cost alone.

The call for more cancer centres reinforces an urgent need for expanded infrastructure, better funding mechanisms, and public‑private partnerships to improve access and save lives.

Health officials have not yet announced a concrete plan, but the Ministry of Health confirmed that the issue will be discussed in the upcoming quarterly health sector review.

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