Ministry of Health receives prostate biopsy guns from AstraZeneca

Global Pharmaceutical Company, AstraZeneca, donated nine thousand dollars worth of prostate biopsy equipment to the Ministry of Health (MOH) to support the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer in the country.

Donated equipment includes reusable prostate biopsy guns and disposable prostate biopsy needles.
Mr. Mawuli Emmanuel Atiemo, Country Director of the society, said the move will support the ministry’s continued efforts to improve overall prostate diagnosis, understanding and patient outcomes.

He said the World Health Organization reported in 2020 that a total of 2,129 new cases of prostate cancer were recorded in Ghana.

Mr Atiemo said the figure highlights the importance and urgency of ensuring those at risk of prostate cancer have timely access to health services, hence the donation to aid in diagnosis and early treatment.

Dr Baffour Awuah, Head of Medical and Dental Health, MOH representing the minister, thanked AstraZeneca for the gesture saying.

He said the ministry had recently adopted the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Policy which talks about “early detection and management of non-communicable diseases”.

“This would go a long way to supporting the implementation of the ministry’s policy on non-communicable diseases, which includes prostate cancer.

“So we hope the partnership will continue to make pharmaceuticals more affordable for patients after diagnosis,” Dr. Awuah said.