The newly elected President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Professor Ernest Yorke, has attributed the rising prevalence of diabetes in Ghana to a combination of genetic predisposition and evolving lifestyle patterns. In an interview on Citi Eyewitness News on Monday, November 17, Prof. Yorke emphasised that while hereditary factors contribute to the condition, contemporary habits are significantly amplifying the risk.
He lamented the decline in physical activity over the years, recalling a time when walking was a routine part of daily life. “Back then, if you had a girlfriend, you walked to her house, she walked you back, and you walked home again—there were no phones, so we walked a lot,” he reflected. “Even at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, where I work, I’ve observed staff driving between departments. We’ve become increasingly sedentary.”
Prof. Yorke added that unhealthy eating habits are worsening the situation. “So that is one factor. So we are packing on calories… Eating junk and poor food. We think that we’ve come of age. We are eating lots of shawarmas, fried rice,” he said. His comments come shortly after he was elected President of the GMA for the 2025–2027 term. Prof. Yorke won the presidential race with 1,857 votes, representing 53.6 percent of valid ballots cast in the Association’s November 15 elections.
Other elected officers include Dr Arko Akoto-Ampaw as Vice President, Dr. Richard Selormey as General Secretary and Dr. Anane-Frimpong as Assistant General Secretary. Dr Kwaku Appiagyei was elected Treasurer, while Dr. Charles Bayel and Dr. Louisa Nkrumah won the male and female executive positions, respectively.
Source: Abigail Arthur