The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has raised a disturbing alarm about the number of Ghanaians living with hypertension who are unaware of their condition.
Statistics from the Ghana Health Service show that 50% of Ghanaians living with hypertension are oblivious to their status.
According to the Ghana Health Service, this worrying phenomenon is due to low testing rates among Ghanaians, particularly among men—as one out of every five people in Ghana has never measured their blood pressure.
Data from the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate show that the region recorded 126,110 new cases of hypertension in 2022 alone, 136, 380 in 2023, and 140, 216 in 2024.
Despite the alarming figures, health professionals are calling for greater efforts to ensure more Ghanaians are aware of their hypertensive status, warning of the severe health implications of ignorance.
As a response, the Ghana Health Service is embarking on a nationwide medical exercise aimed at measuring the blood pressure of one million Ghanaians. In the Ashanti Region alone, the Regional Health Directorate is targeting 170,000 people.
Speaking at a news conference in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional Health Director, Dr. Fred Adomako-Boateng, urged Ghanaians to adopt healthier lifestyles and become more proactive in learning about their health.
“It is called a silent killer, and a lot of people with hypertension have no idea of their state, until, most of the time, they come to the hospital with complications and so, because of this, globally, the month of May has been chosen to commemorate world day to create the awareness for people to take steps and come to the facilities for their blood pressure to be managed.
“In Ghana, 50% of people with hypertension have no knowledge that they have hypertension. For every 5 people you see, one of them has hypertension in the country. For every four people you see, at least one of them has never measured his/her blood pressure,” he said.
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