Patient Safety Must Be Priority as Non-Communicable Diseases Drive 40% of Deaths in Ghana

Ghana's health system must place patient safety at its core, according to Dr Adomako Boateng, Regional Director of Health Services for the Ashanti Region, who issued the call during activities marking the 2026 National Patient Safety Day. His remarks highlight growing concerns about mortality patterns in the country and the need for systematic improvements in how healthcare is delivered.

The Ashanti Regional Director's intervention comes at a critical moment, as non-communicable diseases (NCDs) now account for approximately 40 percent of all deaths nationally. This shift represents a significant public health challenge that extends far beyond infectious disease control, the traditional focus of Ghana's health interventions.

The Growing NCD Burden in Ghana

Non-communicable diseases—including conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cancers, and cardiovascular disorders—have become a leading health threat. Unlike infectious diseases, which can often be addressed through vaccination and treatment programmes, NCDs require sustained management, lifestyle modifications, and consistent healthcare engagement. The 40 percent mortality figure underscores how deeply these conditions now affect Ghanaian families across urban and rural areas.

Dr Boateng's emphasis on early detection reflects a crucial reality: many NCDs, when caught early, can be managed effectively and their progression slowed significantly. However, early detection requires functioning screening systems, adequate healthcare infrastructure, and public awareness—areas where Ghana's health system has faced documented challenges.

Why It Matters for Ghana

Patient safety directly impacts Ghana's economic productivity and household finances. When patients experience medical errors or unsafe care, the consequences ripple beyond individual health outcomes. Families deplete savings on corrective treatments, workers lose productivity, and public trust in health facilities erodes. For a country working to strengthen its economy and reduce poverty, a safe and effective health system is essential infrastructure.

The focus on safety also addresses a persistent gap in Ghana's healthcare discourse. While access to treatment remains important, the quality and safety of that treatment are equally critical. A patient who reaches a facility but receives unsafe care may face complications worse than their original condition—a scenario that wastes resources and damages confidence in the system.

Additionally, as Ghana's population ages and urbanisation increases, the prevalence of NCDs will likely continue rising. Building a health system centred on safety now will position Ghana better to handle this transition and reduce preventable deaths in the coming years.

Steps Toward Safer Care

Implementing patient safety as a core principle requires several elements:

• Strengthening training for healthcare workers on safe protocols and error prevention
• Establishing systems for reporting and learning from adverse events without punitive cultures that discourage transparency
• Improving access to diagnostic tools for early NCD detection in both urban and rural settings
• Building patient education programmes so Ghanaians understand NCD risk factors and the importance of regular health checks
• Ensuring adequate staffing and resources so clinicians can deliver care under safe conditions

The National Patient Safety Day provides an opportunity for Ghana's health sector to recommit to these principles and assess progress. Dr Boateng's message aligns with global health priorities but speaks directly to Ghana's immediate challenges. By making safe care the heartbeat of the health system—as he put it—Ghana can begin to reverse the preventable deaths that NCDs currently cause and build greater confidence among citizens in public health services.