By Patrick Biddah
Ghana is said to be on the way to facing health crisis due to the surge in cases of Non Communicable Diseases (NCD).
The rate, at which Ghanaians are contracting these diseases, has been predicted to be the next big pandemic.
Non Communicable Diseases are diabetes, hypertension, cancer, mental health and injuries, among others.
The acting Head of Public Health and Health Promotion at the Ministry of Health , Dr Mavis Sakyi, who made this prediction at a seminar on Accelerating the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the 2nd Global Dialogue on Non Communicable Diseases and Mental Health , indicated that 54percent of deaths is attributed to Non Communicable Diseases currently in Ghana .
Dr Sakyi, who made the revelation, further noted that a World Health Organisation (WHO) report has revealed that out of every two deaths, one is attributed to NCD.
The next decade, she further pointed out, would see a pandemic full of NCD cases which for her is threatening.
This, she noted must bring to a sharp focus on the need to increase the coverage of health care in this regard.
The National Coordinator for the Ghana Non Communicable Diseases Alliance, Mr Labram Musah, was worried that improvement to the health of people living with NCD has stagnated since 2015.
For him, the NCDs have a catastrophic financial burden on patients which is why world leaders must commit more to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3.4, in order to reduce the cases in their respective countries.
That notwithstanding, he was of the view that over dependence on donor funding should be shifted to domestic revenue mobilisation to increase support for the NCDs.
On his part, the Principal Administration Manager at the Ministry of Health, Mr Lucas Annan, said the government is doing everything possible , in order to make access to health care accessible and affordable to persons living with NCD through the National Health Insurance.
According to him, government is ensuring that mortality will be reduced through preventative and promotion of mental and well-being.
Making a presentation on how the media will level up to draw attention to the issues of NCDs at the 2ndGlobal Funding Dialogue which is coming up in Washington, a Television Host of Health Issues on United Television, Mr Nana Kofi Owusu, urged the media to be consistent in in bringing issues of NCD to the front burner.
