The Minister for Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has said Ghana remains committed to ensuring the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.
He added, “In April 2022, Ghana hosted the International strategic dialogue on NCDs and the SDGs, to raise the priority accorded to NCDs. Ghana signed on to the Global NCD compact to accelerate efforts toward achieving SDG 3.4 and 3.8.”
The Minister said this on Friday in Accra at an event organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Ministry of Health (MoH) on the theme: “Promoting partnerships for diabetes prevention and control.”
He indicated that the collaboration aims to reduce the global burden of diabetes by increasing access to affordable and quality care, promoting a more comprehensive approach to diabetes prevention and management and addressing social determinants of health that contribute to the diabetes epidemic.
He stated that people living with diabetes and other non-communicable diseases suffered severe morbidity and mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Agyeman Manu added that as part of efforts to ensure health security and sustain efforts toward pandemic preparedness and response, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases need to be urgently addressed.
He called for support to implement the WHO Global Diabetes Compact in Ghana and take meaningful steps towards improving diabetes prevention, care and management.
The National NCD Policy and strategy provide policy guidance and outlines strategies to prevent and control diabetes in the country.
Priscilla Nimako, ISD