Korle Bu Director urges routine cancer screening at Nestlé-Roche Program Launch

At the launch of a cancer care initiative by Nestlé Ghana and Roche, Professor Joel Yarney, Director of the National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, highlighted the need for Ghanaians to adopt routine screening as a critical approach to combating non-communicable diseases, especially cancers.

Professor Yarney noted that since cancers often take years to manifest,

Read full article.early screening is essential to catch the disease before it reaches advanced stages. Currently, most breast cancer cases presented at Korle Bu are at stage three, a trend he attributes to late detection and insufficient year-round awareness.

Professor Yarney proposed that preventive care efforts, such as Pink October, should become year-round campaigns at district hospitals, supported by community health nurses conducting regular breast exams in rural areas. While initially using hands-on breast examinations, he envisions gradually introducing mammograms and other advanced diagnostics to facilitate early detection.

Nestlé Ghana’s Managing Director, Georgios Badaro, expressed pride in launching the initiative, which aligns with Nestlé’s commitment to supporting employees affected by cancer.

Human Resources Director Antoinette Arkoh emphasized the program's goal of expanding across the Central and West Africa regions, ensuring accessible cancer care for all employees and their families. Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Simone Giger, praised the collaboration between Nestlé and Roche, encouraging other companies to replicate these efforts to improve national healthcare outcomes.

Dr. Kgothatso Motumi, Roche Ghana’s Country Manager, echoed the call for collaborative action against cancer, urging employees to utilize the program’s screenings and educational sessions as part of the comprehensive NesCare initiative designed to address non-communicable diseases across the Nestlé workforce.