Ghana’s burden of chronic non-communicable diseases: Future directions in research, practice and policy

Abstract

The prevalence of major chronic non-communicable diseases and their risk factors has increased over time
and contributes significantly to the Ghana’s disease burden. Conditions like hypertension, stroke and
diabetes affect young and old, urban and rural, and wealthy and poor communities. The high cost of care
drives the poor further into poverty. Lay awareness and knowledge are limited, health systems (biomedical,
ethnomedical and complementary) are weak, and there are no chronic disease policies. These factors
contribute to increasing risk, morbidity and mortality. As a result chronic diseases constitute a public health
and a developmental problem that should be of urgent concern not only for the Ministry of Health, but also
for the Government of Ghana. New directions in research, practice and policy are urgently needed. They
should be supported by active partnerships between researchers, policymakers, industry, patient groups,
civil society, government and development partners.

Keywords: chronic non-communicable diseases, health systems, policy, research, Ghana