By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu, GNA
Navrongo (U/E), March 16, GNA – The Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) has evaluated its progress and strategy for tackling the rising burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
The review meeting provided a platform for stakeholders, health managers, researchers, and partners to reflect on the Centre’s performance, share research findings, and deliberate on strategies to move the institution forward, particularly regarding the growing burden of NCDs and other health research priorities.
The event was held under the theme: “Improving Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Management at the Primary Healthcare Level: The Role of Health Research.”
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after providing an overview of the Centre, Dr Patrick Odum Ansah, the Director of the NHRC, noted that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) had set the pace among government agencies by establishing an annual review program and that the review aligned with that national initiative.
“This year, we are reviewing our work from January to December 2025 to assess our progress. Our main objective is to remain a Centre of Excellence, conducting research that is highly relevant to both the country and global health,” Dr Ansah said.
He acknowledged that while the Centre faced challenges, management was making strides toward fulfilling its mandate. “We have shown significant results: we have had a major impact on publications and have remained relevant in leading guideline and policy development in the country.”
Dr Ansah added that management has initiated several innovative projects, including the construction of a new laboratory and said plans were also underway to establish a new clinical trial facility and offices for the clinical research team.
He said the initiatives aimed to position the Centre to support Ghana’s vaccine development goals. “Ghana is moving toward self-sufficiency in drug and vaccine development, and clinical research is an essential part of that journey.
“We are supporting the government and the Ghana Health Service by providing cutting-edge facilities to ensure that drugs and vaccines manufactured in the country are tested to the highest standards,” he said.
Dr John Williams, former Director of the Dodowa Health Research Centre (DHRC) and the keynote speaker, noted that NCDs were a major burden on Ghanaians in terms of morbidity and mortality.
“In fact, they are listed as the leading killer of adults in Ghana today. We are talking about cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and heart attacks as well as diabetes and respiratory illnesses,” he stated.
Dr Williams, who is also a former Clinical Research Fellow at the NHRC, described hypertension and diabetes as lifestyle diseases, and advised the public against smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and high sugar intake.
“We need to take a particular interest in what we eat and drink. We must stay physically active and avoid smoking and alcohol to stand a chance of preventing these conditions,” he said.
He further noted that while NCDs like hypertension were once associated with the elderly, they were now affecting younger populations.
“These days, people are dying fairly young. You see 40-year-olds with strokes. In Accra, stroke units report seeing patients in their teens and twenties. Behind this trend is hypertension,” he said.
Dr Braimah Baba Abubakari, the Upper East Regional Director of the GHS, described the meeting’s theme as both timely and extremely relevant, noting that NCDs such as hypertension, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases were becoming major public health challenges.
He emphasised that strengthening the prevention and management of NCDs at the primary healthcare level required strong evidence.
He said: “We must understand what works and what interventions are most effective in our local context.
“This is where institutions like the NHRC play a vital role. For decades, the NHRC has been a pillar of health research in Ghana, contributing significantly to policy development and the improvement of healthcare delivery.”
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Benjamin Mensah