The Healthy Africa Heart Project (HAHP) for Bono East Region was on Thursday launched in Techiman, with focus on addressing the increasing burden of non – communicable diseases (NCDs), especially hypertension.
The project is an access programme to increase the quality of health care, strengthen and build capacities of health facilities and integrate hypertension treatment into the health system in the country.
Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng, the Bono East Regional Director of Health Service, disclosed that the region in 2016 recorded 15,161 cases of hypertension, 12,341 cases in 2017, 17,196 cases in 2018, 18,240 cases in 2019 and 18,293 in 2020.
The Regional Director said there was the need to address the prevalence of NCDs in the region, adding that “70 per cent of heart failure cases are caused by hypertension, which is a risk factor for NCDs”.
“Institution of wellness clinics across the country, where individuals can walk in to any available health facility, to acquire medical checkups, is very crucial to the early detection and management of NCDs”, he said.
The Country Director of Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), Dr Patience Cofi, indicated that her outfit in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has resulted in the screening of 800,000 persons for hypertension.
Mrs Cofi said the HHAP has made strides in hypertension treatment through sustained advocacy, awareness creation and access to hard-to-reach areas, improved hypertension service delivery and surveillance, among others.
The Chief Director of the Bono East Regional Co-ordinating Council, Mr George Padmore Mensah, was grateful to Astrazeneca, PATH and the GHS for the introduction of HAHP in the area to curb the dire effects of hypertension.
He said the project would lead to improved health outcomes and contribute to the reduction of hypertension in the Bono East Region, adding that “I expect that lessons learnt from HHAP will be scaled-up across the country”.
“To overcome the challenges of hypertension in our society, we need the collective efforts and sustained community engagement with the support of opinion, social, religious and traditional leaders” Mr Mensah urged.
Nana Baffour Asare Twi Brempong, the Adontenhene of Techiman Traditional Council, implored patients and health care givers in the region to work together improve health delivery in the region.
He advised residents to eat healthy food, do body exercises, have enough sleep and avoid substance abuse, for a good life.
FROM EMMANUEL ADU GYAMFI, TECHIMAN
