We’re sharing the inspiring stories of Grand River Hospital team members who are working to provide exceptional patient care beyond Grand River Hospital’s walls to patients in need across Africa.
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Alliance for CancerCare Equity: Supporting Cancer Treatment for Patients in Ghana and Beyond
A few years ago, on a trip back to his home country of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Osei connected with some of his friends working in health care and realized just how dire the need for improved health care, most notably cancer care, is in Ghana and surrounding African countries.
In Ghana, more than 15,800 cancer patients die from the disease each year. There were 24,000 new cancer cases in 2020, but only 3,500 patients are seen annually. More than 50 percent of patients abandon their treatment due to inability to pay for the full treatment. Furthermore, due to a lack of timely diagnosis, late presentation of most cancers is very common; thus, cancers that are curable when diagnosed early tend to be presented very late when they are no longer curable.
Inspired to make a difference for cancer patients in his home community and beyond Grand River Hospital’s walls, Drs. Ernest Osei and Johnson Darko have teamed up with two of their colleagues to start Alliance for CancerCare Equity (ACCE). Officially incorporated with Corporations Canada just a few weeks ago, the organization’s mission is "To advance equity in the cancer care continuum from prevention to survivorship and to serve patients battling cancer and their families with the financial support necessary to cope with the life-threatening illness.” Alliance for CancerCare Equity believes that no person should die of cancer because the family cannot afford to pay for treatment.
The organization’s immediate goal is to fund the treatment and related costs for individuals with cancer in Ghana and other developing nations in Africa who are without the financial means to receive health care. However, the ultimate goal is to build a cancer centre in the heart of Ghana to serve cancer patients in Ghana and developing nations in Africa.
To learn more about the ACCE organization and how you can support their goal, you can visit https://www.allianceforcancercareequity.ca/. If you or someone you know is interested in volunteer opportunities with Alliance for CancerCare Equity, please reach out to Dr. Ernest Osei directly at ernest.osei@grhosp.on.ca
 Dr. Ernest Osei
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 Dr. Johnson Darko
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