The Director of Public Health at Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, says Ghana needs to prioritise the prevention and control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) considering their future burden and the existing healthcare system.
He said NCDs were killing 17 million people each year before age 70 and 86 per cent of these premature deaths would occur in low-and middle-income countries, including Ghana.
“Within the next 20 years, NCDs will be responsible for virtually half of the global burden of diseases in developing countries.
“Our strategies should be directed to monitor the incidence of the diseases along with their risk factors,” he stated.
Dr Asiedu-Bekoe made the call at the launch of a report titled: “The Financial Burden of Care for People Living with Non-Communicable Diseases in Ghana,” which was initiated by the Ghana NCD Alliance.
He said cardiovascular diseases accounted for most of the NCD deaths, or 17.9 million people annually, followed by cancers; 9.3 million, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes.
He stated that risk factors, such as tobacco and alcohol use, improper nutrition and sedentary behaviours contributed to the development of diseases, which were sweeping the entire globe.
“The changing pattern of lifestyle leads to the development of obesity, stroke, stress, atherosclerosis, cancer and other NCDs,” he said, and that some of the diseases have their common risk factors which should be addressed with minimum cost, but maximum output”.
The Director noted that despite the gloomy outlook, interventions such as vaccination for the prevention of cancer, screening and early detection of diabetes, and timely and appropriate management of the diseases had been proven to work.
“These are cost-effective; low-hanging fruits which we need to prioritise and scale up nationally, to address NCDs. We ought to be deliberate and decisive in our efforts to address NCDs by joining forces, mobilising resources, and adopting best practices,” he stated.
Dr Asiedu-Bekoe said implementing key strategies to address the diseases required concerted efforts from governments, local and international partners, communities, and patients, all of whom were affected directly or indirectly, stressing that; “One party cannot do it all”.
“At the national level, we ought to prioritise NCDs through legislation, enforcement of regulations needed to address the disease risk factors and dedicate funds for prevention and control activities, create the multisectoral platform needed for partner engagement for the prevention and control, and provide strategic leadership, direction and coordination of interventions targeted at the reduction of the burden,” he stated.
He said Ghana’s healthcare resources were contained, with a relatively low doctor-to-patient ratio and by prioritising preventive care, the country could optimise its healthcare resources and ensure cost-effective treatment options.
Dr Asiedu-Bekoe said early diagnosis allowed for timely interventions, which could prevent disease progression and complications, leading to improved patient outcomes.