Labram M. Musah
The Ghana Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Alliance (GhNCDA) has called for the prioritisation of NCDs in political parties’ manifestos.
According to the organisation, this was important as NCDs accounted for over 94,000 deaths annually, representing about 43% of all deaths in the country.
In a press statement issued and signed by the GhNCDA coordinator, Labram M. Musah, key risk factors such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, alcohol use, and air pollution were driving the prevalence of NCDs, which in turn entrench poverty, increase inequalities, and hinder progress towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The GhNCDA, in its statement, recommended several measures that political parties should adopt and include in their manifestos to help address the issue of NCDs and its impact on society and the citizenry.
The recommended measures include increased budgetary allocation for NCDs to strengthen health systems, support health promotion and prevention, early diagnosis and detection, and management.
They also called for the exemption of the National Health Insurance Fund from the list of statutory funds that are capped, and uncapping the National Health Insurance Levy to reduce catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure as well as upgrading healthcare infrastructure in hard-to-reach areas and rural communities.
Others are ensuring the provision of essential medicines and basic diagnostic equipment; implementing and enforcing regulations on health-harming products such as tobacco, alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages, and foods high in saturated fats and salt.
In addition, GhNCDA recommended the adaptation of sustainable financing mechanisms to address the healthcare financing gaps and challenges faced by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), such as increasing taxes on unhealthy products and earmarking the funds to finance health, research, and cessation; investing adequately in primary health care facilities, health literacy, and health promotion.
It also recommended the implementation and enforcement of regulations on the advertisement of alcohol, emerging tobacco products, unhealthy commodities, and other substances of abuse to young people; and demarcating and reclaiming public parks and gardens to enhance physical activity and recreational purposes.
The GhNCDA underscored the importance of political commitment to the recommendations proposed by political parties to ensure Ghana’s achievement of the UHC.
“By committing to these recommendations, political parties can not only advance the health and well-being of the Ghanaian population but also reinforce the principles of social justice and human rights,” the statement added.
By Nafisatu Abdul Razak