The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is preparing to introduce a free health screening program for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly hypertension and diabetes, to combat its high mortality rates in Ghana.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which include cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory conditions, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, pose serious international public health issues.
Every year, around the world, NCDs claim the lives of 17 million people before they reach the age of 70, and it is possible to prevent 86 percent of these deaths. However, NCDs accounted for 41 million of the 55 million fatalities in 2019, accounting for 74% of deaths connected to those health issues.
The majority of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are caused by lifestyle choices such as abusing alcohol, smoking, being inactive, and eating poorly. A further factor contributing to the growth in NCDs and associated mortality is the increased intake of high-energy, low-nutrient diets with high concentrations of sugar, salt, and saturated fat.
Addressing these concerns, the Programs Manager of NCDs at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Efua Commeh, announced that the Ghana Health Service, in partnership with the National Health Insurance Authority, intends to use national and regional approaches through proper policies to deal with NCDs.
“The Ghana Health Service is promoting screening for adults, particularly hypertension and diabetes, through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). The NHIS card allows individuals to receive free screenings for these conditions, ensuring they receive necessary medical checkups during their birth month. This initiative is crucial for the population’s health and aims to provide accessible health services.”
Dr. Efua Commeh, who made this known during the 47th Annual General and Scientific meeting added that,
“We are also promoting institutionalized screening where in the regions across the country, we are calling on various institutions and organizing screenings for them because, as a habit for us as a country, when we are not sick, we don’t go to the hospital, which is not healthy.”
Source: Gbcghanaonline
