Non-communicable diseases account for approximately 43 per cent of deaths in Ghana, Deputy Minister of Health Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah has disclosed.
The figure places chronic conditions among the country’s major causes of mortality and reflects the growing health burden associated with illnesses that do not spread from person to person.
Non-communicable diseases include cardiovascular conditions, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory illnesses. Many develop over extended periods and require continuing medical care, monitoring and access to medication.
Ayensu-Danquah attributed about 43 per cent of deaths recorded nationally to the broad group of conditions.
The mortality share differs from the number of people living with an NCD. Prevalence measures the population affected by an illness, while mortality figures concern deaths attributed to a disease or group of diseases.
Ghana continues to manage both communicable and non-communicable conditions. Infectious diseases remain part of the national health burden, but chronic illnesses now account for a substantial proportion of deaths.
The rise of NCDs has expanded demand for services across different levels of the health system. Patients may require screening, diagnosis, long-term treatment, specialist care and regular monitoring.
Cardiovascular illnesses can include diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels. Diabetes involves the body’s regulation of blood glucose, while chronic respiratory conditions affect the lungs and airways. Cancer covers a wide range of diseases involving abnormal cell growth.
The four groups are commonly included within national and international discussions of non-communicable disease, although the 43 per cent figure represents their combined mortality burden with other chronic conditions rather than a rate for one disease.
The deputy minister’s disclosure provides an official estimate of the share of deaths associated with NCDs in Ghana.
The figure is approximate and is reported to the nearest whole percentage. It does not mean the remaining 57 per cent belongs to one single category of illness.
Mortality records may distinguish between the underlying cause of death and other conditions present in a patient. The national percentage summarises the overall burden attributed to non-communicable disease.
The health sector’s management of chronic illness operates alongside programmes addressing maternal health, infectious disease, emergency care and other public-health priorities.
Ayensu-Danquah’s statement adds to the statistical picture used by health authorities in assessing Ghana’s changing disease burden.
The latest official figure disclosed by the Deputy Health Minister places non-communicable diseases at approximately 43 per cent of deaths recorded in the country.
