Garu MP flags rising NCDs, urges employers to protect workers health
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.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), non-communicable diseases account for 43 per cent of all deaths in Ghana, with cardiovascular diseases responsible for 19 per cent of NCD-related deaths.
As a result, Ghana, like many middle- and low-income countries, is dealing with a rapid rise in non-communicable disease cases.
In the next 15 years, WHO predicts that non-communicable diseases will become the most common cause of death in Africa unless interventions are implemented to change the trend.
Dr Anabah noted that the surge in this trend, especially in workplaces, is primarily driven by key risk factors: stress, poor nutrition, tobacco and alcohol use, long working hours, and environmental contamination caused by illegal mining.
“These silent killers, including hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, mental health disorders, and more, now account for over 43 per cent of deaths 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,” Dr Anabah said.
He therefore urged both public and private employers to prioritise employees’ wellbeing to prevent productivity declines and health risks.
