World Heart Day: GHS Raises Concern Over Low Blood Glucose and Cholesterol Screening Among Ghanaians

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has raised concern over the low level of routine screening for blood glucose and cholesterol among Ghanaians, warning that inadequate knowledge of these key cardiovascular risk factors could contribute to late detection and management of heart-related conditions.

The concern comes as Ghana joins the global community to commemorate World Heart Day, observed annually on September 29 to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including heart disease and stroke, marked under the theme “Don't Miss a Beat.”

Dr. Florence Koryo Akumiah, a Physician Specialist and Cardiology Fellow at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, at a media engagement organized by the Communication Initiative for Change (CIC) under its Meatless Monday Ghana programme at the Korle-Bu Health Promotion Division in Accra to mark the occasion, cited findings from the 2023 Ghana WHO STEPS survey, which involved 5,438 adults across all 16 regions in the country.

According to her, approximately 70% of participants had never checked their blood glucose, while about 90% had never checked their cholesterol levels.

Dr. Akumiah noted that cardiovascular diseases have become an important public-health concern in Ghana, with heart disease, stroke and hypertension accounting for a significant proportion of deaths since the disease can develop without obvious symptoms.

She said in the data presented at the engagement that about 45% of deaths in Ghana were attributable to non-communicable diseases, while cardiovascular diseases accounted for approximately 18% of total deaths, based on World Health Organization data. Adding that the 2023 STEPS survey also found that about one in five Ghanaian adults had hypertension, with women recording a higher prevalence than men.

Mrs. Catherine Adu-Asare, Programme Manager of the Diet and Healthy Lifestyle Programme at the Ghana Health Service, also highlighted unhealthy dietary patterns as an important concern.

She uncovered that 76% of Ghanaians consumed fewer than the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, urging households to reduce their intake of salt, processed foods, deep-fried foods, saturated and trans fats, and foods high in sugar.

She further advised the public to reduce reliance on seasoning cubes and highly salted foods such as koobi and momoni, while making greater use of natural spices such as garlic, ginger, onion, rosemary and thyme in addition to a regular exercise lifestyle for healthier living.

Mr. Emmanuel Fiagbey, Executive Director of Communication Initiative for Change and Meatless Monday Ghana (CIC-MM) in his submission remarked that small steps considered in the way we eat can affect the work of our heart and encouraged the need for all to cut down on meat consumption to improve the functioning of the heart. 

Sompaonline.com// Eric Annan