The World Hypertension League (WHL) and the Stroke Association Support Network-Ghana (SASNET-GHANA) have urged the government to cover the expense of hypertension patients' treatment and care.
They stated that persons living with hypertension already face multiple obstacles, including access to adequate healthcare and high pharmaceutical costs, and that the majority of hypertension medicines were not on the National Health Insurance Scheme's list.
According to a statement released on World Hypertension Day by Mr Ad Adams Ebenezer, Executive Director of SASNET-GHANA, hypertension accounts for three quarters of all cases and deaths in Ghana, potentially leading in strokes and heart-related illnesses.
"Measure your blood pressure, regulate it, and live longer," is the Day's theme. The statement urged the government to address the issue of hypertension drugs being unavailable in some health centers across the country, as well as to provide them with functional digital blood pressure measuring devices for accurate measurement to reduce the risk of misdiagnosis, which could lead to complications or death.
The government must enhance Ghana's healthcare system to provide integrated treatment that targets not only hypertension but also chronic ailments, according to the report.
"According to the World Health Organization report, more than 61 percent of COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized had hypertension, 52 percent had diabetes, and 45 percent of persons aged 60 to 69 who died from COVID-19 also had hypertension," the statement added.
It noted that the high prevalence of high blood pressure was a major worry, and that more than half of Ghanaian adults had hypertension and were ignorant of it, and that half of those who were aware did nothing to change their lifestyle or treatment.
It reported that four out of every ten persons over the age of 25 had hypertension, putting 75 percent of the world's hypertension population at danger of heart disease, strokes, renal illness, or even premature death.
The SASNET-GHANA, in partnership with partners, will perform a screening exercise in the Ahafo Region and host a virtual symposium to honor the anniversary, according to the announcement.
It praised the government for publishing Ghana's National NCD Policy and Strategic and Implementation Plan, and stated that SASNET-GHANA and WHL will work with the government to put the policy into action, particularly in the areas of hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.