They stressed that early detection remains the most effective tool for improving survival rates for both conditions.

Madam Dora Kugbonu, Health Promotion Officer, in Anloga District of the Volta Region, explained that childhood cancer, although rarer than adult cancers, poses a serious public health challenge in Ghana.

“This year’s campaign, themed ‘Together, We Turn the World Gold,’ uses the gold ribbon as its emblem, symbolising the value of children and the courage of those battling the disease,” she noted.

She reiterated that childhood cancer could be successfully treated when identified early and urged that parents and guardians should watch for warning signs such as unexplained fever, sudden weight loss and persistent tiredness, and seek medical attention promptly rather than assuming that such symptoms would pass on their own.

Health data cited by GHS shows that Ghana has recorded between 1,200 and 1,500 new childhood cancer cases annually, yet only about a third of affected children reach treatment facilities, while the gabs where largely attributed to low public awareness of symptoms and limited diagnostic capacity in some parts of the country.

“To close this gap, the Ministry of Health, working with GHS, has expanded the National Health Insurance Scheme to cover four childhood cancers over the past three years, with further coverage of expansion planned. This effort supports the World Health Organisation’s global target of achieving at least 60 per cent survival for childhood cancer by 2030.”

Alongside the childhood cancer campaign, GHS is equally spotlighting Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, which represented by the light blue ribbon, calling on men, especially those aged 40 and above, to undergo regular prostate screening as a preventive health measure.

The Service noted that prostate cancer is among the most diagnosed cancers affecting men in the country and often develops without noticeable symptoms in its early stages, making routine screening critical rather than optional for men within the risk age group.

GHS has further urged men to set aside stigma and hesitation surrounding prostate examinations and called for early screening as a simple but potentially life-saving step that could significantly improve treatment outcomes if cancer is detected.

Under its “Your Health, Our Concern” mandate, GHS said health facilities, advocacy groups and community organisations nationwide are expected to roll out screening exercises and public education activities throughout the month to support both campaigns.

The Service has called on all Ghanaians, families, health workers and the media, to support the awareness drive using the hashtags #TurnTheWorldGold and #ChildhoodCancerAwareness, while encouraging men across the country to prioritise their prostate health this September.