Ghana Non-Communicable Disease Alliance has advocated the inclusion of Non-Communicable Diseases, NCDs in the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS to help reduce the disease burden on people living with NCDs.
According to the Alliance most people living with communicable diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular, respiratory diseases, diabetes, stroke, asthma and neurological disorders die early due to the cost of treatment and care.
The National Coordinator of the Alliance Labram Musah stated this at the launch of the Ghana advocacy Agenda of persons living with NCDs in Accra.
The Advocacy Agenda is under the theme: Putting people living with NCDs at the Centre of National Health Agenda.
He said when NCDs are captured under the NHIS, the out of pocket treatment cost on persons living with the disease will be lessened.
Mr. Musah observed that persons living with NCDs have been neglected to take care of their disease burden and called for government’s intervention in prevention, treatment and improved access to facilities across the country.
Deputy Minister of Health, Alexander Abban who launched the Ghana advocacy Agenda of persons living with NCDs said work on a draft National NCDs Policy and Strategies will soon be completed for implementation to help reduce the burden on people living with NCDs.
He urged the Ghana NCDs Alliance to continue to complement government’s efforts aimed at reducing cases of NCDs in the country.
Mr. Abban said his Ministry is reviewing the diseases that are covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme and will ensure that some NCDs are captured under the scheme to help alleviate the plight of people living with NCDs.
He stated that a number of preventive measures are in place and urged citizens to take their health seriously by avoiding unhealthy practices like alcohol intake, smoking and consumption of junk foods.
In a speech read on his behalf the World Health Organization Country representative for Ghana, Dr. Owen Kaluwa said Non-Communicable diseases are the world’s biggest killers.
“NCDs kill approximately 40 million people globally each year, accounting for 70 percent of all deaths. About 15 million of those deaths occur among people between the ages of 30 and 69.”
He said low and middle income countries are particularly affected by NCDs with more than 80 percent of all deaths from NCDs occurring in these countries.
He noted that effective non-communicable disease prevention and control requires leadership, coordinated multi stakeholder engagement for health both at the government level and at the level of wide range of actors.
Dr. Kaluwa advocated the empowerment and involvement of people in activities relating to prevention and control of the diseases.
He pointed out that as Ghana strive to achieve NCDs targets, it must not lost track of the commitment to achieving the SDG target especially Goal 3 which talks about health and wellbeing for all by the year 2030.
People should have access without discrimination to nationally determined sets of needed promotive, preventing, curative and rehabilitative basic health services and essential, safe, affordable, effective and quality medicines.
Deputy NCDs Programmes Manager at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Afua Commeh also entreated Ghanaians to avoid unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking, intake of excessive alcohol and endeavor to consume healthy meals to avoid contracting NCDs.
She said NCDs are now killing Ghanaians more than they used to be. She advised the populace to go for regular check-ups and screenings to know their status since early diagnoses will help in prevention and control of the diseases.
The Vice Chairman of the Ghana NCDs Alliance Ebenezer Ad-Adams said the ambition of the Alliance is to reduce the burden of NCDs and this cannot be achieved without pragmatic action on prevention, adequate treatment, care and support.
He said the advocacy agenda seeks to strengthen the NCDs response at national, regional and local levels.
Mr. Ad-Adams explained that the group is a platform for civil society and people living with the NCDs to demand action from decision makers and urge them to work at meeting global and national commitments.
Joshua Makubu, a person living with NCDs called for improved access to public transport, public facilities and work spaces for persons with disabilities and NCDs as enshrined in the Disability Act.
He spoke against discrimination against persons living with NCDs and called for the enforcement of laws protecting the rights of people living with Non-Communicable Diseases at workplaces and at the community level.
The Ghana Advocacy Agenda of People living with NCDs is promoting four main themes; (1) human rights and social justice; (2).prevention (3).treatment, care and support and (4). meaningful Involvement.
Story by Dominic Hlordzi
