Barbara Kortsu, a final-year student of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, has urged Ghanaian women to take their health serious.

Publishing her research work, Barbara Kortsu stated that "Reproductive cancers are among Ghana’s toughest health challenges, but they are not unbeatable. By embracing healthier diets, encouraging routine screenings, and demanding stronger healthcare support, Ghana can turn the tide".

Read her full research below;

The Impact of Diet on Women’s Reproductive Cancers: A Guide For Ghanaian Women

Cancer is a deadly disease. Its treatment is particularly raw and painful. This agony becomes much more dreadful when the disease affects the breast and the cervical parts of the sufferer.

The good news is that this excruciating pain could be alleviated with a shift in diet and lifestyle, combined with screening and vaccination. Sadly, this important message about how to prevent and survive cancer is not being heard by a lot of women. The focus of this write-up, therefore, is to highlight how dietary changes can enhance cancer care.

Physicians and dietitians share the viewpoint that what one eats can either protect or put the individual at risk.

They claim that consuming meals that are heavy in red meat, fried foods, and sugary drinks, among others, is likely to increase the individual’s chances of developing reproductive cancers.

This is because such means tend to fuel inflammation and hormone imbalances in the body. As poignantly stated by Dr. Fidelis Kpodo, the Head of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), eating “is not just about filling the stomach, but it is also about what that food is doing inside us”.

He added: “A plate piled with fried chicken and soda every day is a recipe for trouble, but the kontomire stew, beans, millet, or garden eggs our grandmothers cooked can serve as protective foods”.

Generally, it is believed that consuming meals that include fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, and nuts tend to supply our systems with the needed fibre, vitamins, and antioxidants. These nutrients supply the body with the vital defenses that help strengthen the body’s immunity.

Palm oil, when used moderately, contains compounds that reduce harmful free radicals. In short, the diet that once sustained generations of Ghanaians holds answers for today’s cancer crisis.

The conversation about diet cannot be separated from weight gain and obesity.

As fast foods and sedentary lifestyles spread, more Ghanaian women are carrying excess weight, often without realizing its hidden danger.

Obesity is one of the strongest risk factors for uterine and breast cancers. Fat tissue produces extra estrogen, and long-term exposure to high levels of this hormone can fuel cancer growth. “It’s not only about appearance,” says Dr. John Nsor, a nutritionist at UHAS.

“Obesity is an invisible enemy, and it is feeding cancers in our communities.” Simple steps like walking daily, replacing soft drinks with water, and adding more vegetables to meals can help women take control of their health.

The Power Is on Our Plates

For individual women and families, the message is urgent but empowering: diet and lifestyle choices matter.

A woman who chooses plantain and beans over fried rice, or kontomire stew over processed meats, is not just feeding her family; she is protecting their future.

Healthy living is not about expensive foreign foods. It is about reclaiming the Ghanaian food culture that valued fresh, seasonal, and plant-based diets.

Combined with regular exercise, screening, and vaccination, these choices can save lives.

A Path Forward

Reproductive cancers are among Ghana’s toughest health challenges, but they are not unbeatable. By embracing healthier diets, encouraging routine screenings, and demanding stronger healthcare support, Ghana can turn the tide.

The responsibility is shared: governments must act, communities must engage, and individuals must make daily choices that safeguard their health.

The question is not whether Ghana can reduce cancer deaths; it is whether we will make the changes needed now. For the sake of mothers, daughters, and sisters across the nation, the time to act is today.

BY: BARBARA KORTSU, BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, AT UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH AND ALLIED SCIENCES.

Dated: SEPTEMBER, 07 2025