Chief Executive Officer of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Dr Yakubu Seidu Adam, has called for deliberate investment in specialist training, diagnostic infrastructure and sustained public education as the country marks the launch of the 2026 Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, warning that the disease continues to place a heavy burden on individuals, families and the national healthcare system.
Speaking at the launch of Prostate cancer month, under the “Prostate cancer: early detection” which brought together the Director of the Urology and Nephrology Center of Excellence, executives and members of the Ghana Association of Urological Surgeons, allied health professionals and other stakeholders.
Dr Yakubu described prostate cancer as one of the leading causes of illness and death among men globally, noting with particular concern that the disease disproportionately affects African men and men of African descent.
As a leading tertiary and quaternary healthcare institution receiving patients from across Ghana and beyond its borders, Dr Yakubu said KBTH cannot remain indifferent to the scale of the burden prostate cancer imposes on patients, healthcare facilities and the country as a whole.
He said this responsibility underpins the hospital’s full support for the commemoration of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and the sustained public education campaigns that accompany it each year.
Two-Pronged Response: Education and Early Detection
Outlining the hospital’s strategic response to the growing burden of the disease, Dr Yakubu identified two priority areas requiring urgent attention.
The first, he said, is public education and early detection, describing knowledge as one of the strongest tools available in the fight against prostate cancer. He stressed the need to consciously educate men about the disease, its risk factors, and the importance of timely screening and medical attention.
He explained that many patients currently present at health facilities only after the disease has already advanced, making treatment considerably more difficult and placing a heavier burden on patients, their families and the healthcare system as a whole.
“Early detection gives patients a better opportunity for effective treatment and effective outcomes,”
Dr Yakubu Seidu Adam
Investment In Specialist Training and Infrastructure
The second priority area Dr Yakubu highlighted was investment in the training of specialists and the provision of appropriate infrastructure for diagnosis, treatment and management of prostate cancer.
He reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the training of more urologists, nurses and other specialist professionals whose expertise remains essential to delivering comprehensive prostate cancer care.
He was clear, however, that KBTH’s responsibility as a teaching hospital extends beyond meeting its own internal staffing needs.
According to him, the hospital carries a national responsibility to train specialists capable of serving not only Korle Bu, but health facilities across the entire country.
“Expanding the number and geographical spread of specialists is one of the surest ways of improving access to prostate cancer services and reducing the burden of disease nationally,”
Dr Yakubu Seidu Adam
Turning Attention to KBTH’s Own Workforce
Beyond addressing patients and the wider public, Dr Yakubu drew attention to the risk faced by KBTH’s own staff, noting that a significant proportion of the hospital’s workforce is male and therefore equally exposed to the risk of prostate cancer.
He used the occasion to task the hospital’s urologists and other relevant professionals with developing a practical and sustainable programme to make Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing and appropriate prostate screening accessible to staff.
He said such an initiative should aim to educate staff, encourage appropriate screening uptake, identify potential cases early, and facilitate timely treatment and management where necessary, describing this as a way of translating awareness into practical, institutional action rather than mere rhetoric.
This Year’s Theme: Early Detection Saves Lives
Dr Yakubu linked his remarks directly to this year’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Month theme, “Prostate Cancer: Early Detection Saves Lives,” describing the message as simple yet powerful.
He explained that early detection can mark the difference between a disease that is effectively managed and one that becomes extremely difficult to treat, potentially adding years of productive life for fathers, husbands, brothers, colleagues and friends across the country.
He extended an appeal to every relevant stakeholder, including health professionals, policymakers, the media, corporate organisations, community leaders, families and communities, to actively support efforts aimed at turning this year’s theme into tangible reality.
Closing his remarks, Dr Yakubu reiterated that KBTH’s responsibility extends beyond simply treating prostate cancer patients.
He said the institution must actively educate the public, encourage early detection, strengthen its diagnostic and treatment capacity, train more specialists, as earlier echoed by the Director of the Center, and ultimately ensure that every man diagnosed with the disease receives the best possible opportunity for timely and effective treatment.
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