Participants in a group photograph after the seminar
The National Coordinator, Ghana NCD Alliance, Labram Musah, has disclosed that the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continues to rise steadily across the country, noting that over 60% of people living with NCDs experience financial burden.
He further explained that, financial burden results from out-of-pocket payment cost for medicines, outpatient visits and hospitalisation, which leads persons, families and communities into poverty.
He said this at the capacity-building seminar for media professionals and civil society organisations (CSOs) on non-communicable diseases and universal health coverage (UHC), organised by the Ghana NCD Alliance in collaboration with the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) and Media Alliance in Tobacco Control and Health (MATCOH).
Mr. Musah detailed that, NCDs contributes to 74% of deaths globally, with 80% of the deaths occurring mostly in the low-and middle-income countries.
Highlighting the objectives of universal health coverage, he underscored that it aims to ensure that everyone can lead a healthy life without the burden of high medical costs.
Notably, he pointed out that, Ghana has made significant strides towards achieving universal health coverage, and these key initiatives include; National Health Insurance Scheme (2004-to date), Ghana’s roadmap for attaining UHC (2023-2030), Passage of Excise Tax Amendment Act, 2023 to reduce the accessibility and affordability of unhealthy commodities to reduce NCDs burden.
Despite efforts to achieve universal health coverage, he stressed that Ghana’s progress towards achieving UHC is hindered by several key challenges, including the increase of NCDs burden, inadequate investment in NCDs, and lack of dedicated national funding mechanism for NCDs prevention and management.
For his part, the Chairman of Media Alliance in Tobacco Control and Health, Jeorge Wilson Kingson mentioned that, the global burden of non-communicable diseases in Ghana cannot be ignored, needless to say that these diseases now account for about 45% of all mortality in the country, a figure that has risen steadily over the years.
He stressed that, NCDs is a critical issue that demands collective attention, adding that the challenges in the health sector such as high treatment costs, inequitable access to healthcare and insufficient mental health support only compound the suffering of those affected by NCDs.
“These challenges, not only strain our healthcare system but also deepen the cycle of poverty, as individuals and families are forced into financial hardship due to the costs associated with managing these conditions,” he noted.
Mr. Kingson emphasised that, as preparation is being made towards the formal UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in September this year, the seminar held provides an important platform to equip media professionals, civil society organisations and individuals living with NCDs with the necessary knowledge and tools to advocate for enhanced government action and commitment to addressing NCDs crisis.
He further stated that, the seminar aims at accelerating progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.4 by reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases and striving for universal health coverage that ensures healthcare access and protection for all individuals.
“Through this training, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the UN processes, critical timelines and the key advocacy priorities that government actors should prioritise in the lead-up to the 2025 meeting,” he said.
According to him, they want to strengthen the ability of journalists and CSOs to communicate efficiently about NCDs and universal health coverage, as well as to engage with policymakers and drive for the prioritisation of NCDs in the national health agenda.
“Let us be proactive in ensuring that our voices are heard in the policy-making process,” he urged.
By Janet Odei Amponsah