Ghana must actively screen healthy people for hypertension and chronic disease – CDD fellow

Kwame Sarpong Asiedu, a Fellow in Public Health at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), has called for Ghana to transition from a healthcare system that only addresses sick individuals to one that actively screens apparently healthy people for chronic diseases. During a discussion on hypertension on Joy FM Super Morning Show, Asiedu pointed out that many people may have hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases without realizing it, as these conditions often present no obvious symptoms.

He emphasized the need to extend this concern to cardiovascular diseases in general, including those linked to high cholesterol. Asiedu stressed that Ghana should shift from a system that waits for patients to seek medical care after symptoms appear to one that proactively identifies individuals with underlying conditions. He highlighted the importance of screening, citing countries that introduce routine screening at certain ages, such as the United Kingdom, where people receive messages to get screened at specific age milestones.

Asiedu argued that Ghana lacks a culture of proactive screening and that the current healthcare system primarily relies on patients presenting themselves after becoming unwell. He also noted that high cholesterol levels, a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, may be prevalent without individuals' knowledge. Asiedu linked erectile dysfunction in men to potential underlying health issues like hypertension, warning that some men may self-medicate with aphrodisiacs without realizing the actual ingredients, which could lead to cardiovascular complications.