The Ministry of Children, Gender and Social Protection has announced a national inter-school cancer quiz competition.

The event which is in collaboration with breast cancer advocacy NGO, Breast Care International is to create awareness on breast cancer among the youth especially students in Senior High Schools.

Speaking at a maiden meeting with the Cancer Advisory Board in Accra, Gender Minister, Cynthia Morrison described the initiative as laudable and progressive in ending needless deaths from cancers in Ghana.

She commended the Board for the gains made in its relatively short period of operation and urged them to intensify its campaign.

The Gender Minister bemoaned the lack of progress in reducing cancer cases despite huge monies pumped into public education.

Cynthia Morrison charged the Cancer Advisory Board to intensify education to reduce cancer related deaths in Ghana.

Also, the Chairperson of the Board and President of Breast Care International, Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, whose NGO pioneered the concept explained the quiz was aimed at catching the youth at an early age with the cancer campaign.

Dr. Wiafe believed empowering the youth with the right knowledge would make them worthy cancer ambassadors in anticipation of a cancer free future.

The nationwide annual inter-school contest will be held on March 6 as part of Ghana’s 62^nd Independence anniversary celebrations.

Dr. Wiafe also lobbied for the inclusion of indigent breast cancer patients on the Livelihood empowerment program against poverty, LEAP.

The maiden edition of the program, held in Kumasi last year, was won by the T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School with KNUST and Kumasi Girls Senior High Schools placing second and third respectively.