Professor Solomon Fiifi Ofori-Acquah, the Leader of the West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC) has revealed that over four hundred children are diagnosed of leukemia in Ghana every year.
According to him, the disease is caused by changes in the DNA but the country does not have the capacity to diagnose most of these childhood cancers very well.
He said globally, Africa is the epicenter of leukemia with over five million of the world’s population affected by the disease.
Delivering a lecture at the launch of the Ghanaian Genome (Ghgenome) Project in Accra Prof. Ofori-Acquah stated that Ghanaians have a role to play in appreciating the nuances of the disease.
“It’s our duty to decode the mutations that cause the real genetic diseases in this country so that parents and families can be spared the suspicions look as the basis of these diseases” he said.
Insisting the disease is a big problem for families, the Director of the Ghgenome Project noted that the average Ghanaian knows more about genetics and its related matters.
Launching the project, Daasebre Ayimadu Kantamanto II, the Gyasehene of Okyeman representing the Okyehene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofiri Panin II was optimistic the lecture will afford the participants the opportunity to know more about their genetics and its related issues.
He called for God’s blessing on the project.
Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana in an address said the lecture would be an eye opener expected to awake the consciousness of Ghanaians in issues of genetics.
She said the university will do its part to assure the success of the programme by building the capacities for genetic studies.
The University of Ghana Vice Chancellor urged the participants at the lecture to share the knowledge acquired with others.
The lecture brought together people from academia, chiefs, medical students, students from various second cycle institutions, doctors among others.
The Ghanaian Genome project is a genetic health awareness initiative to educate the general Ghanaian population about the importance of genetics in health, wellbeing and diseases.
The project is based on for main areas: a nationwide public lecture series on the Ghanaian Genome, an in country free screening of genetic diseases specifically for sickle cell conditions, breast and prostate cancers and a postgraduate genetics training programme.
The programme will also feature the sequencing of DNA of 1,000 Ghanaian children with severe genetic disorders.
source mypublsiher24.com