The country has seen a significant increase in stroke cases over the past three years, with rates rising into the thousands per 100,000 people. Dr. Mavis Sakyi, a Public Health Physician and Health Systems Researcher at the Ministry of Health (MoH), revealed this during a national stakeholder consultation on Food Is Medicine (FIM) in Accra on Monday, August 24. She highlighted that nearly 48 percent of these cases occurred in men aged 30 to 49, calling the situation “quite alarming.”
Dr. Sakyi explained that an increasing number of cases are presenting as severe “hemorrhagic strokes,” which typically have a poor prognosis. She provided annual figures, noting 24,840 reported cases in 2023 (77.4 per 100,000 population), 26,758 cases in 2024 (81.1 per 100,000), and 29,483 cases in 2025 (87.36 per 100,000).
She attributed much of the rise in stroke cases to poor management of hypertension and diabetes, stating that many patients either do not receive their medication or do not take it as prescribed. Diet, she emphasized, plays a crucial role in managing these conditions, which are classified as Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). The meeting was convened to address the urgent need to improve dietary habits and reduce the national burden of NCDs.
The Ashanti, Greater Accra, Volta, and Oti regions were identified as having the highest rates of stroke, with districts such as Oforikrom, Korle Klottey, Bekwai, Ayawaso West, and Keta leading in case numbers.
Stakeholder Consultation on Food Is Medicine
The consultation, organized by the MoH in partnership with the University of Ghana’s School of Public Health, focused on integrating food and nutrition interventions into healthcare programmes. The FIM initiative involves a range of food-based interventions tailored for individuals with specific health needs, going beyond general nutrition education by being clinically informed and linked to care plans.
Countries that have implemented FIM have reported improvements in disease management, patient outcomes, and, in some cases, reduced healthcare costs. The meeting aimed to develop a Ghana-specific understanding of FIM, establish models for research, and create institutional frameworks for implementation.
Dr. Sakyi also shared statistics from the Ghana Health Service, noting high rates of hypertension and diabetes, which often lead to strokes when not properly managed. In 2023, there were 549,527 reported cases of hypertension (1,711.6 per 100,000 population), rising to 577,374 cases (1,710.79 per 100,000) in 2025. Diabetes cases increased from 181,769 in 2023 (566.2 per 100,000) to 201,022 in 2025 (595.64 per 100,000).
She noted that stroke rates are higher among men, who are generally less likely than women to seek hospital care. Women, she added, tend to visit hospitals more frequently due to factors such as pregnancy, increasing their chances of early screening and intervention.
The top districts for hypertension are Ayawaso West (Accra), Atwima Nwabiagya, Obuasi East (Ashanti), Korle Klottey (Accra), and New Juaben (Ashanti). For diabetes, Ayawaso West leads, followed by Obuasi East, Kwahu West, and Old Tafo.
Addressing Poor Nutrition
Dr. Ignatius Awinibuno, Director of Allied Health at MoH, pointed out that poor nutrition, limited access to healthy food, and environments that encourage unhealthy eating all contribute to the country’s NCD burden. He called for deliberate efforts to integrate nutrition and food services into clinical care, which the FIM initiative aims to address. Approaches such as produce prescriptions, medically tailored groceries, and meal deliveries combined with nutrition counselling and follow-up are key steps toward this goal.
Dr. Sebastian Sandaare, Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, described NCDs as a national emergency that is prematurely claiming lives, impoverishing families, reducing productivity, and straining the health system. He praised the FIM initiative for linking prevention, treatment, clinical care, and access to appropriate nutrition.
Professor Amos Laar, Head of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health at the School of Public Health, added that the meeting sought to establish how clinically appropriate food and nutrition services could become an integral part of healthcare delivery and improve food systems in Ghana.
Source: Augustina Tawiah
