Rising Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases in Ghana
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are now a leading cause of death in Ghana, accounting for approximately 43–45% of all mortality. Cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases dominate this burden, signaling a clear epidemiological transition from infectious to chronic conditions.
Cardiovascular diseases are the largest contributor, responsible for about 19% of all NCD-related deaths, with stroke emerging as one of the leading causes of mortality. Hypertension is a major underlying risk factor and affects a significant share of the adult population. When adjusted for differences in population age structure, age-standardized mortality rates highlight the scale of the problem: in 2021, NCD mortality stood at approximately 750 deaths per 100,000 population among males and 563 per 100,000 among females.
The rapid rise in NCDs is closely linked to urbanization, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and harmful alcohol consumption. An ageing population is further intensifying the burden, particularly in urban areas where lifestyle-related risks are more prevalent. Together, these trends are placing increasing pressure on Ghana’s health system.
Ghana has responded with several policy and programmatic measures. The adoption of the WHO Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions (PEN) aims to strengthen primary healthcare, support early detection, and improve long-term management of NCDs. Legislative actions, including the Public Health Act 851, the Tobacco Control Regulations (L.I. 2247 of 2017), and a national alcohol policy, are intended to reduce exposure to key risk factors.
Despite these efforts, capacity for NCD prevention and management at the primary care level remains limited, and NCDs continue to be underfunded relative to their contribution to mortality. Sustained investment in prevention, stronger primary healthcare systems, and coordinated action on behavioral and social determinants will be essential to curb the growing NCD burden in Ghana.
Sources:
- World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Office for Africa
- Ghana Ministry of Health / Ghana Health Service
- National Institutes of Health (NIH), peer-reviewed studies on NCDs in Ghana