The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has identified the consumption of fast food as a major contributor to the rising rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country.
The GHS attributes this trend to changing lifestyles, with more Ghanaians, including younger generations, incorporating fast food into their diets.
During the 47th Annual General & Scientific Meeting of the Ghana Chapter of the West African College of Physicians, Dr. Afua Commey, Deputy Programme Manager for the Non-Communicable Diseases Control Programme at GHS, emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue.
She noted that, Ghana is experiencing an increase in all NCD risk factors, driven in part by the growing preference for fast food.
“In terms of NCD risk factors, we seem to be determined to gallop ahead of our neighboring countries. We are witnessing an escalation of all NCD factors… The risk factors are everywhere. As Ghanaians, we are increasingly embracing fast foods, possibly due to the lifestyle changes we’re adopting.
“As we adopt these lifestyles, we are also linking some form of reward system for our children, such as promising to take them to fast food places if they do well in school.
Unfortunately, these habits are reflected in our numbers, with the proportion of people diagnosed with hypertension being about 50% of the estimated number,” she explained.
Vice President of the Ghana Chapter of the West African College of Physicians, Dr. Sammy Ohene also highlighted the importance of prioritizing mental health, noting that it is a leading concern among non-communicable diseases.
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