‘Counting costs, losing lives: Ghana’s hypertension emergency’
Kwabena Egyiri, a 47-year-old mason from Kwabeng in Ghana’s Eastern Region, thought he knew his body.
Years of battling fatigue, headaches, and nausea had taught him to recognise the signs of malaria. But this time was different. After completing a malaria treatment course from his local pharmacy, his symptoms worsened—persistent headaches, breathlessness, and exhaustion haunted him even after minor tasks.
Although he suspected something was wrong, Egyiri ignored the idea of visiting a hospital, telling himself he would recover in time.
Fate, however, had other plans. A local non-governmental organisation offered free health screenings in his community, and Egyiri reluctantly joined.
The result was shocking: his blood pressure read 185/121 mmHg—a hypertensive crisis requiring urgent attention.
Saved in the nick of time, Egyiri’s story reveals a larger issue many Ghanaians face—hesitating to seek healthcare due to socio-economic challenges and a lack of awareness.
When cost outweighs life
Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky as Egyiri.
Kwame Wassah, a 35-year-old, faced a similar health battle but made a different choice.
Instead of seeking medical help, Wassah self-medicated, weighing his symptoms against the thin stack of cedis in his pocket.
His decision turned fatal when he collapsed one morning as the hospital’s diagnosis revealed that he, too, had been struggling with uncontrolled hypertension for months—an oversight that cost him his life.
A national crisis unfolding
These stories are not isolated. Across Ghana, a delayed response to symptoms and limited access to health care are leading to a silent epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including hypertension, diabetes, and chronic respiratory conditions.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that NCDs now account for 41 million deaths globally each year, representing 74 per cent of all deaths.
Alarmingly, low- and middle-income countries bear the brunt, with 86per cent of premature NCD deaths occurring in these regions.
The WHO projects that within the next 15 years, NCDs will become the leading cause of death in Africa.
The financial burden of hypertension
In Ghana, NCDs are responsible for nearly half of all deaths annually, with hypertension affecting approximately 3.7 million adults— about half of whom are unaware of their status.
Research estimates that managing hypertension over a lifetime could cost a Ghanaian nearly GH¢869,106, with an economic toll of about GH¢438 million, or roughly 0.08 per cent of the nation’s GDP, by the end of 2022.
Given Ghana’s health expenditure of only 3.4 per cent of GDP—one of the lowest in Africa—the cost of treating NCDs is a burden many simply cannot afford.
Breaking the chain: The role of prevention
Health experts highlight urgent steps to combat Ghana’s growing NCD crisis, starting with widespread, community-based blood pressure screenings.
Public health campaigns are also calling for lifestyle changes: reducing salt intake, engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting alcohol and tobacco use.
Dr Efua Commeh, the NCD Programme Manager at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), voices concern over limited investment in NCD care.
“Historically, our health focus has been on infectious diseases, leaving lifestyle-related diseases underfunded and poorly addressed.
Even where conditions like hypertension are covered under the NHIS, comprehensive treatment often falls outside of coverage, burdening patients with out-of-pocket expenses that deter many from seeking timely care,” Dr Commeh explains.
Professor Kwasi Torpey of the University of Ghana’s School of Public Health adds that empowering community resources could revolutionise early detection efforts.
“Most people won’t know they have high blood pressure without checking regularly. With low awareness and poor health-seeking behaviors, we need to utilise local facilities like pharmacies, health centers, and even shops to provide free blood pressure checks and other essential screenings.”
A whole-government approach
Dr Dennis Laryea, Deputy Director of Disease Surveillance at GHS, believes the fight against NCDs requires a cross-sectoral approach.
“NCDs aren’t only a health sector issue; they touch every part of society. Infrastructure development, urban planning, and even educational institutions should incorporate health considerations to mitigate these risks,” he says.
The price of delay
At a time when donor funding towards health interventions is dwindling, accelerated efforts at mobilising domestic funding to bridge the existing health financing gaps cannot be overemphasised if Ghana is to attain the WHO global action plan towards reducing premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030.
To achieve universal health coverage (UHC) which aims to ensure that everyone has access to preventive, curative, and rehabilitative health services without financial hardship as part of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, the government must be proactive in investing to reduce the NCD burden.
According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); “for every $1 invested in proven NCD interventions, African countries could generate at least $7 in increased economic development or reduced health costs by 2030.
Back in Kwabeng, Egyiri reflects on his close call. “Every cedi spent on medicine means less for my family’s food,” he shares, revealing a painful trade-off familiar to countless Ghanaians.
“But now I know that without health, there’s no way to provide for them at all.”
As Ghana confronts the hidden epidemic of NCDs, stories like Egyiri’s remind us that behind each statistic is a family’s future hanging in the balance.
The choices made today—from investments in public health to individual lifestyle changes—will shape not just lives, but the health of the entire nation.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
