Ghana health experts warn of high hypertension prevalence

Health experts are warning that a significant portion of the adult population in Ghana may be living with hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases without knowing it. Research indicates that approximately 34 percent of Ghanaian adults may be hypertensive, meaning roughly three to four in ten people are affected.

Dr. Albert Agbi, a cardiologist at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, noted that hypertension is difficult to detect because it often presents no obvious symptoms until serious complications, such as strokes, occur. He also highlighted a trend where some patients, particularly men, stop taking prescribed medication due to concerns regarding sexual side effects, which can lead to life-threatening consequences.

Kwame Sarpong Asiedu, a public health fellow at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), has called for a shift in the national healthcare approach. He advocates moving from a reactive system that waits for patients to report illness to a proactive model that actively screens apparently healthy individuals for chronic conditions, including high cholesterol and coronary heart disease.