41 million people are reported to be dying from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancers and others across the world annually.
These deaths, according to the Chairperson of the Ghana NCD Alliance, Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai is equivalent to 71% of all deaths across the world.
Addressing participants at Duayaw Nkwanta during an outreach programme in conjunction with the ANAQ Foundation, an advocacy organisation on NCDs, Dr Wiafe asked Ghanaians to live healthy lifestyles including daily exercises of the body.
She said statistics available indicates that 15 million people within the age bracket of 30 and 69 die from NCDs yearly, adding that everyone was at risk.
“It is serious the rate at which our youth as well as others are dying from non-communicable diseases and I believe the time has come for a national approach where all of us embrace the idea of living healthily as well as putting in routine body exercises”, the cancer surgeon and NCD chairperson stressed.
KYIDOMHENE:
Speaking at the programme which had in attendance students from the Presbyterian Midwifery Training School and Boakye Tromo Senior High School, Nana Boakye, Kyidomhene of the Duayaw Nkwanta Traditional Council urged participants to take note of the statistics and act accordingly.
He rallied participants to carry the awareness to their homes and places where they worked.
By this, the Chief noted many would get the message on the need to live and eat healthily all their days.
The Chief noted that body exercises as was well as routine medical check-ups at the hospital was also important to be inculcated into the minds of the public.
ANAQ FOUNDATION:
Speaking to the Ghanaian Observer newspaper later, Madam Ama Attafuah Quainoo, Head of the ANAQ Foundation urged the general public to take issues about their health seriously.
She noted apart from living healthily it was important that people take issues of food and nutrition equally serious.
NATIONAL COORDINATOR:
Mr Labram Massawudu Musah, National Coordinator on NCDs rallied members of the community to carry the message of good living to their compatriots.
He noted that by providing each other with the necessary information on NCDs the entire community would be spared the agony of recording early deaths.
Present at the event were medical doctors, nurses, government and health officials as well as representatives from the MP’s office as well as Breast Care International (BCI), a non-givernmental organisation.
