WHO partners with Ghana for a nationwide survey on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) risk factors
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is collaborating with Ghana to conduct a nationwide survey on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) risk factors. The initiative is aimed at reducing the public health burden associated with NCDs in the country.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Ghana Statistical Service are collaborating with the WHO for the survey. The two partners have commenced a five-day training workshop for selected data collectors to enable them to understand the survey’s purpose and use the mix of tools for effective and accurate delivery of data.
WHO’s STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance (STEPS) will be used for the survey. STEPS is a simple, standardised method for collecting, analysing and disseminating data on key NCD risk factors in countries.
The survey instrument covers key behavioural risk factors, including tobacco use, alcohol use, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diets. It also covers key biological risk factors, such as overweight and obesity, blood pressure, raised blood glucose and abnormal blood lipids.
NCDs have been identified among the top four causes of mortality locally and globally. The GHS data suggests a steady rise in the prevalence of NCDs, such as hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and cancers. It is estimated that 31% of disease burden in the country is due to NCDs.
For the most part, there is no comprehensive nationwide data for management and control of risk factors, making the survey very critical. Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Country Representative of the WHO, Dr Francis Kasolo, said the survey would establish a baseline on the prevalence of NCD risk factors in the country to help better guide planning, monitoring, and evaluation of efforts at NCD.
He said the survey instrument covered the key behavioural risk factors such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, use of alcohol and tobacco, eating unhealthy diets, second-hand smoking, obesity, overweight and raised blood glucose.
In a nutshell, the survey will provide crucial information to guide decision-making to better address the NCD risk factors and provide an opportunity to better prevent and control NCDs in Ghana. The survey is timely and aligns with Ghana’s strides towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).