– Kobe Smith cites cost, access and stigma as barriers to early detection

GUYANESE men and women are being urged to prioritise their health and seek early cancer screening, as concerns grow over the burden of cancer in the country and the financial and social barriers that can prevent people from accessing timely care.
Executive Director of the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA), Kobe Smith, made the appeal during a recent edition of the New Day radio programme, where he highlighted the importance of early detection, particularly for prostate cancer, and called for greater attention to the affordability and accessibility of screening services.
Smith described prostate cancer as a major health concern in Guyana, suggesting that the growing number of cases also reflected improvements in the availability of screening services and the identification of cases that may previously have gone undetected.
He noted that men’s health had long presented challenges, with stigma surrounding prostate examinations potentially discouraging some from seeking screening in the past.
However, he said screening did not necessarily require a hospital visit, as certain tests were available at the GRPA.
“If we’re talking about prostate cancer screening, we’re not always talking about going to a hospital or going to a clinic,” Smith explained.
He pointed to the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, a blood test used to help assess the risk of prostate cancer, as one of the screening services available through the association. He also referenced lipid profile testing, which assesses cholesterol and other fats in the blood but is not itself a cancer screening test.
Smith emphasised that screening and early medical assessment are important because some cancers may develop without obvious symptoms in their early stages.
“While you may feel physically healthy, you don’t know what’s happening inside of you,” he said, encouraging people not to rely solely on how they feel to determine whether they need medical attention.
COST REMAINS A BARRIER
Beyond stigma and awareness, Smith identified the cost of healthcare as a significant obstacle for people seeking preventive services.
He argued that many Guyanese are focused on earning enough to support their families, pay rent and meet rising household expenses, leaving limited resources for routine medical checks.
Smith cited the GRPA’s fee of approximately $7,000 for a Pap smear, noting that other screening procedures, including mammograms and PSA tests, also carry costs that may be difficult for some households to meet.
“Cancer screening comes at a cost,” he said, adding that affordability must be considered when examining why people delay or forgo medical checks.
“I’m not convinced that people just don’t care about health, I think that it’s also about affordability,” he said.
While the Government offers free healthcare services and screening initiatives, Smith said access and affordability remained issues requiring a broader national response, particularly for people who choose to seek care through private hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
He stressed the need to consider the economic circumstances that influence healthcare decisions, alongside efforts to educate the public about the importance of early detection.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
The GRPA, meanwhile, has been working with partners to extend screening services to women and girls in rural and Indigenous communities.
Smith highlighted support from ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, which assisted the association in screening 2,000 women and girls in Indigenous and rural areas.
The initiative, he said, demonstrated how partnerships could help extend healthcare services to communities where access may be more challenging.
Expanding such services is important to ensuring that geography and financial circumstances do not prevent people from receiving appropriate medical attention.
‘EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES’
Smith’s appeal was also shaped by personal experience. Reflecting on his mother’s death from cancer 10 years ago, he spoke candidly about the consequences of delaying or neglecting healthcare.
He recalled that she had become caught up in work and did not give sufficient priority to her health.
“I think if she took health seriously, and I’m speaking candidly because she got caught up in work and she didn’t do that, and you die. That is the reality,” he said.
Smith used the experience to reinforce his call for men and women to take cancer seriously and make regular health checks a priority.
He said early detection could improve the chances of identifying disease before it progresses, while encouraging people to seek medical advice and appropriate screening based on their age, risk factors and medical history.
His message, he stressed, is that people should not wait until symptoms appear before taking their health seriously.
As cancer awareness activities continue, the GRPA is urging Guyanese to overcome fear, stigma and other barriers to screening, while calling for greater attention to the cost and availability of preventive healthcare.
Smith maintained that improving awareness must go hand in hand with making screening more accessible, so that more people can detect potential health problems early and seek timely treatment.