Health expert flags surge in lifestyle diseases among children

Physician specialist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Felicia Akuribire, has raised concerns about the alarming prevalence of lifestyle diseases among children, which can develop into non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like asthma, hypertension, and diabetes.

She made this known at the launch of the ASHIPTI NCD project organised by Hope for Future Generations (HFFG), a local Non-Governmental Organisation, on May 22, 2026, at St. Peter’s Catholic School in Osu.

The project seeks to prevent NCDs in children, improve physical wellbeing, and increase their knowledge on NCDs through curated physical activity catalogues and meal charts.

The group distributed water bottles, skipping ropes, footballs, physical activity catalogues and sports sacks to the school to encourage physical activity and hydration among the pupils.

Addressing the media on the sidelines of the event, Dr. Felicia Akuribire urged parents and schools to prioritise healthy eating and more physical activity among children.

“We realized a number of our children are coming to the hospitals with lifestyle diseases like obesity and Type 2 diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. Studies show that one out of five children are obese or overweight. This is a call for action for us because the inflammation starts at a young age and finally becomes a full-blown NCD so the children are at risk”, she warned.

Coordinator of Hope for Future Generations, Catherine Williams Sarsah noted that the initiative funded by the Denmark Government with support from ASHIPTI Project is expected to span over three years.

Catherine Williams Sarsah indicated that the three year project will be rolled out in schools to enhance physical activity.

“We realised that anytime we engaged children on what their favourite foods were, they mentioned foods like noodles, shawarma, fries etc. This informed our decision to start a project like this where we incorporate a healthy lifestyle as a preventive measure. We have began with the St. Dominic Catholic School in Taifa and the St. Peter’s Catholic School in Osu. We are hoping to enlarge our scope as the years progress”, she noted.

Hope for Future Generations (HFFG) is a women, children and youth focused organization that seeks to improve the well-being and quality of life of beneficiaries and communities through innovative participatory strategies and right based approaches.

HFFG has been in existence for 25 years and has offices in 7 regions, with its work reaching all 16 regions of Ghana.    

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