Researchers call for urgent action on Non-Communicable Diseases
A team of researchers from the Research Group STOP NCD has issued a dire warning about the escalating threat of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Ghana, urging the government to dedicate special funding to tackle the menace.
The team, which has been conducting research on NCDs for two years, presented their findings at a national-level stakeholders meeting at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, highlighting the need for swift action to address the rising cases of NCDs nationwide.
Dedicated funding
The team called on the government to allocate special funding to tackle NCDs, citing the need for increased local resource mobilisation.
The researchers emphasised the need for robust data management systems and health information systems to inform interventions and produce strong research.
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It also noted that the NCD programme in the country lacked dedicated staff, relying on experts from other institutions, and called for capacity building and training for healthcare workers as well as advocated improved availability of essential supplies, such as glucometers and medicines, to support NCD diagnosis and treatment.
The burden of NCDs
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), NCDs accounted for 74 per cent of all deaths globally, with heart diseases, stroke, cancers, diabetes and respiratory diseases being the top killers. In Ghana, the situation is equally dire, with NCDs increasingly becoming a major public health concern.
A new approach
The group is pioneering a new approach to tackling NCDs, focusing on high-level applied research, capacity building and community engagement.
The team has established the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Centre for NCD Control in West Africa, which will lead the five-year project, launched in Accra.
The team called for a swift implementation of the challenges affecting the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which also includes drugs availability and affordability.
"We must explore options for increased local resource mobilisation for NCDs, establish a dedicated fund for NCDs and proceeds from Sin tax should be used to support NCD control and care," Professor Irene Agyepong, Project Coordinator, told the Daily Graphic in an interview.
Infrastructure and resources
The team called for improved availability of essential supplies such as glucometers, test strips, BP measuring apparatus and improved access to medicines. "We call on government to provide skills at first-level PHC facilities for diagnosis and appropriate management including referral decision-making and build the capacity of staff and experts to tackle this menace of NCDs,” Professor Agyepong noted.
Traditional medicine
The experts pondered over the challenges of integrating traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) into the biomedical systems and paradigms that inform the formal or orthodox health services.
“There was a trust and communication deficit with deep-seated mistrust between orthodox and alternative practitioners; limited sharing of information between systems; and patients are often reluctant to disclose the use of alternative medicine,” the experts noted.
