SASNET-Ghana works closely with the Ministry of Health and other organizations to reduce the burden of stroke and CVD, hypertension, obesity and diabetes in Ghana.
Stroke Association Support Network-Ghana (SASNET-Ghana) is a national registered non-governmental organization and a leading stroke support organization (SSO) in sub-Saharan Africa.
SASNET-Ghana works closely with the Ministry of Health, Non Communicable Disease Control Programme of the Ghana Health Service (NCDCP-GHS) and the World Heart Federation to reduce the burden of stroke and CVD, hypertension, obesity and diabetes in Ghana.
CVD Score Card
SASNET-Ghana is a key collaborator in the CVD Score Card Project, an initiative of the World Heart Federation, which launched in Ghana in 2022.
Earlier this year, SASNET-Ghana co-organized a two day CVD Score Card and Diabetes Roundtable which focused on barriers and solutions for primary and secondary prevention of CVD, diabetes and obesity, and to develop a national plan of action for implementation.
CVD and Diabetes Burden
In Ghana, 43% of all deaths are attributed to NCDs, of these 19% is attributed to CVDs and 3% to diabetes and this is increasing. There are a number of factors that impact progress in addressing the burden, including a lack of high-quality evidence-based data to inform delivery of prevention and care, a fragmented response, limited funding and human resources and unstructured screening programmes (1,2).
In his keynote address at the Roundtable, Dr Hafez Adam Taher, Director of External Health Cooperation at the Ministry of Health, stressed that Ghana is at risk of losing a significant part of its workforce as a result of CVD, diabetes and obesity related issues. Dr Taher, underlined the importance of collaborative working between the government and partner organizations.
Calls for Action
The speakers identified a number of actions to address CVDs, diabetes and obesity:
Funding and attention to CVD and diabetes should made a priority on the national agenda.
Ensure affordability and accessibility of medications and treatment.
Patients must be meaningfully involved at all levels of decision making in order to achieve the desired health care system for all Ghanaians.
Training for health care professionals in CVD and diabetes prevention should be prioritized in initial training and ongoing professional development.
The need for context specific and tailored educational campaigns on CVD and diabetes for patients, caregivers and the public.
Mr. Ad Adams Ebenezer, Executive Director of SASNET-Ghana and coordinator for Ghana’s CVD Score Card and the Roundtable discussion, is leading ongoing engagement opportunities and coordinating follow up communication for participants. The next steps include the development of an action plan with proposed solutions at patient and health system levels. The appropriate partner organizations will also be identified to be part of the working groups to take forward implementation of the plan.
1. World Health Organization. Non-communicable Diseases Progress Monitor 2022
2. International Strategic Dialogue on Non-communicable Diseases and Sustainable Development Goals 2022. https://www.afro.who.int/sites/default/files/ISD22/GHANA%20NATIONAL%20ROUND%20TABLE%20ON%20NCDs%20CONCEPT%20FINAL%20DRAFT.pdf
Achieving our vision of a life free from stroke is a task that WSO cannot achieve alone. We are committed to building our partnerships at the global, regional and national level to scale up and deliver improvements in prevention, treatment and support to reduce the burden of stroke.
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