The recent call by Ghana’s Minister of Health, Mr. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, for collective support in designing a roadmap to address non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health marks a pivotal moment in the nation’s health discourse. His appeal, delivered through a statement read on his behalf by Alhaji Hafiz Adam, Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, was not simply a bureaucratic gesture but a profound recognition of the urgency of these challenges. This declaration signals Ghana’s intent to align national health priorities with global commitments, ensuring that the fight against NCDs and mental health crises is not left to chance but structured through deliberate planning.
The significance of this call lies in its acknowledgment that NCDs and mental health are no longer peripheral concerns but central to the nation’s development. Mr. Akandoh emphasized that “This roadmap should outline clear priorities, measurable targets, financing strategies, and timelines for integrating NCD and mental health services into primary health care.” Such clarity is essential because the burden of NCDs in Ghana is immense, accounting for nearly half of all deaths. These are not abstract statistics; they represent families disrupted, communities weakened, and a nation’s productivity diminished. By insisting on measurable targets and financing strategies, the Minister is pointing to the need for accountability and sustainability in health planning.
Equally important is the recognition of social and commercial determinants of health. The Minister noted that the roadmap must address these determinants while “ensuring meaningful engagement of people with lived experience and young people in all decision-making processes.” This statement reflects a progressive approach to health governance. It acknowledges that health outcomes are shaped not only by medical interventions but also by the environments in which people live, the products they consume, and the voices that are included or excluded from policy-making. By involving those with lived experience, Ghana is positioning itself to craft policies that are grounded in reality rather than theory.
The urgency of collective action was further highlighted when Mr. Akandoh reminded stakeholders that “by collective efforts of partners the political commitment made and adopted at the meeting would be achieved.” This is a call for unity across civil society organizations, government agencies, and international partners. The commitments made at the UN meeting were ambitious: doubling investments in NCD prevention and embedding mental health in every health system. These are not goals that can be achieved by government alone. They require the active participation of communities, advocacy groups, and even industry players, though the latter often present challenges.
“ The roadmap will be a blueprint that will guide Ghana in implementing the commitments made at the 4th United Nations High-Level Meeting held in New York this year ”
Indeed, the remarks of Mr. Labram Musah, National Coordinator of the Ghana NCD Alliance, shed light on the tension between public health advocacy and commercial interests. He commended the Ministry of Health for its stand against sugar-sweetened beverages, noting, “I do appreciate your objectives and the advocacy you have been doing for us (CSOs) when it comes to meetings with industry players to reject some of their demands while urging them to reduce the sugar content in their product.” His words reveal the difficulty of confronting industries whose products contribute to NCDs, yet whose economic influence makes them formidable opponents. Musah’s candid observation that “industry players should go back and do their homework and stop disturbing us in our work” underscores the reality that health advocacy often requires resisting commercial pressures that prioritize profit over public well-being.
The broader context of this discourse is Ghana’s participation in the UN High-Level Meeting, where the delegation emphasized the integration of NCD and mental health services into primary health care systems. Mr. Akandoh captured the essence of this when he stated, “Central to Ghana’s call was the urgent need to break financial barriers that push individuals and households into poverty as a result of NCD and mental health care costs.”
This is a critical point. Health care costs can devastate households, pushing them into cycles of poverty that are difficult to escape. By framing NCDs and mental health as existential threats to development, Ghana is recognizing that health is not merely a social issue but an economic one. The political declaration adopted in New York was described by Mr. Akandoh as “a beacon of hope.” He added, “We emphasized that the fight against NCDs and mental health challenges can no longer be treated as a silent crisis but must be recognized as a pressing and deadly reality.”
These words are powerful because they shift the narrative from silence to urgency. For too long, NCDs and mental health have been overshadowed by infectious diseases in public health discourse. Yet the reality is that they are claiming lives at alarming rates and eroding the foundations of national development.
The path forward requires courage, collaboration, and consistency. Ghana’s health leaders are calling for a roadmap that is not only technical but also moral. It must prioritize the vulnerable, confront commercial interests, and ensure that no one is left behind. The involvement of civil society organizations, as highlighted by Musah, is crucial in holding policymakers accountable and resisting industry influence. The roadmap must also be adaptable, capable of responding to evolving health challenges and integrating new evidence as it emerges.
In reflecting on this moment, one cannot ignore the symbolic weight of Ghana’s voice at the UN. As Mr. Akandoh noted, “Ghana’s delegation’s interventions ensured that the voices of African nations, and indeed our own, echoed through the halls of the UN.” This is not just about Ghana; it is about Africa asserting its place in global health governance. It is about ensuring that the unique challenges of the continent are not overlooked but addressed with urgency and equity.
The call for a roadmap is, therefore, more than a policy exercise. It is a declaration of intent, a commitment to confront the silent crises that have long plagued the nation. It is a recognition that health is the foundation of development, and without addressing NCDs and mental health, Ghana’s aspirations for progress will remain fragile. The words spoken at the stakeholder engagement in Accra are not just statements; they are commitments that must be translated into action.
As Ghana moves forward, the challenge will be to ensure that this roadmap does not remain a document on paper but becomes a living guide that shapes policies, budgets, and practices. It must be implemented with transparency, monitored with rigor, and adapted with flexibility. The voices of those most affected must remain central, and the courage to resist commercial pressures must not waver.
In the end, the roadmap is not simply about health. It is about justice, equity, and the right of every Ghanaian to live free from the preventable burdens of NCDs and mental health crises. It is about ensuring that the nation’s future is not compromised by silence but strengthened by collective action. And it is about affirming, as Mr. Akandoh so clearly stated, that “the fight against NCDs and mental health challenges can no longer be treated as a silent crisis but must be recognized as a pressing and deadly reality.”
