Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has disclosed that Ghana registered about 2,500 cervical cancer–related deaths in 2024 out of approximately 3,000 reported cases, describing the situation as deeply troubling.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Dr. Ayensu-Danquah highlighted that the alarmingly high mortality rate is largely due to late diagnosis and delayed access to appropriate treatment.
“The mortality rate for cervical cancer was high. We had about 3,000 cases in 2024, but about 2,500 of them have died. This is because by the time we diagnose or find them out, it is too late, and there’s nothing we can do,” she said.
She expressed hope that the government’s rollout of the free Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme for children aged 9 to 14 will help curb future cervical cancer cases.
Dr. Ayensu-Danquah also noted that the Ministry of Health, working with the Ghana Health Service, is intensifying national public education and screening campaigns to promote early detection and prevention.
Health experts continue to warn that cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among Ghanaian women, despite being largely preventable through vaccination and regular screening.
The government’s introduction of the free HPV vaccine represents a significant step toward safeguarding young girls from the virus responsible for most cervical cancer cases, as health authorities push to reverse the growing burden of the disease.
