By Samira Larbie
Accra, April 13, GNA-Office of the President’s SDGs Advisory Unit has called for a multi-sectoral collaboration to champion a more holistic approach in dealing with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Dr Felix Addo-Yobo, the Deputy Director and Advisor of the Unit said NCDs had implications for national development and economic productivity, thus it was important that it was not only left in the hands of health professionals.
The Deputy Director and Advisor made the call at the opening of the first Annual National Dialogue for Action on Non-Communicable Disease (NCDs) organised in collaboration with the Africa Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) in Accra.
The two-day event seeks to discuss the relationship between the burden of NCDs and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Ghana by 2030.
It was on the theme: “The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Ghana Will Not be Attained Without Urgent Attention to NCDs and Reviewing the Evidence of Developing Practical Solutions”.
Research indicates that NCDs kill an estimated 86,200 persons in Ghana each year with 55.5 per cent of them aged less than 70 years and 58 per cent of males being affected.
The age-standardized NCD death rate is 817 per 100,000 for males and 595 per 100,000 for females.
They cause 2.32 million Disability-adjusted Life Years (DALY)representing 10,500 DALYs lost per 100,000 population.
Dr Addo-Yobo said: “The Issues around NCDs are multifaceted and not limited to the health sector. It has implications for national development, economic productivity, and human well-being among others.
“So, we mustn’t leave it alone to the health sector workers or academicians to deal with, we need everyone on board. Yes, the government would provide the policy space for things to happen but financing it cannot be left alone to the government.
“We need to rope in the private sector, civil society, issues around awareness and advocacy on non-communicable diseases and also bring on board the traditional authorities to drum home the issues of behavioural and lifestyle change,” Dr Addo-Yobo stated.
He urged stakeholders to come on board with innovative ideas to face the challenges head-on.
Dr Daniel Kojo Arhinful, Co-Lead of Africa Center of Excellence NCDs Ghana (ACE NCDs), speaking on the mandate of the Center, said together with the Africa Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), they were leveraging their resources for greater impact.
He said the government turning attention to NCDs was critical to attaining the SDGs and urged persons living with chronic diseases and on herbal medicines to be certain of the efficacy of the products not to worsen their situations.
Dr Arhinful also called on the media to talk more about NCDs just as they did on illegal mining to educate the public on the risk factors.
Dr William Bosu, Head of the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Unit of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), called on the government to establish an NCD Fund just like the COVID Fund to address NCD-related issues.
He said that was crucial given the importance and urgency needed to address the challenge to enable the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Mr Labram Musah, the National Coordinator of Ghana Non-Communicable Disease Alliance (GhNCDA), speaking during a panel discussion, said preventing non-communicable diseases was the most important way of reducing NCD deaths.
He thus called on the government to prioritise NCD prevention at the basic level.
“The primary healthcare level is where NCD initiatives are needed most. We must ensure that the doctors are there, and medicines are available, but unfortunately, that is not the case.
“So, the point is for the government to rethink healthcare at the primary level and prioritise NCDs prevention and education,” he stated.
Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) refer to a broad category of disease conditions characterised by the inability of the affected person to transmit the disease to another person.
Most NCDs are chronic and are associated with a multiplicity of behavioural risk factors, such as physical inactivity, tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet, and air pollution.
Other important risk factors include high blood pressure, high serum lipids, obesity and overweight, increased blood glucose, and substance abuse.
GNA