Non-communicable diseases a growing national crisis – Garu MP cautions

The Member of Parliament for Garu, Thomas Winsum Anabah has raised concerns over what he describes as a growing national crisis of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and mental health disorders.

He made this known at the maiden edition of the Ghana Health and Labour Summit (GHL Summit 2025), held under the theme “Mobilising Against NCDs: Safeguarding Employee Wellbeing in Ghana.”

The summit brought together over 300 participants, including Ministers of State, labour unions, professional associations, academia, employers, development partners, and health experts, to deliberate on workplace wellbeing, mental health, and the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

Addressing the gathering as Chairman of the summit, Dr. Anabah revealed that non-communicable diseases account for about 43 per cent of deaths in Ghana, a situation he described as preventable.

He identified key risk factors such as stress, poor nutrition, tobacco and alcohol use, long working hours, and environmental contamination from illegal mining as major contributors to the rising trend, particularly within workplaces.

“These silent killers -hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, mental health disorders, and more- now account for over 43% of this in Ghana. Yet most of them are preventable. What is even more concerning are the principal risk factors, such as stress, poor nutrition, tobacco, long working hours, lack of physical activity, and alcohol use, “Thomas Winsum Anabah said.

He urged both public and private employers to prioritise employees’ well-being to prevent productivity declines and health risks.