4% of Ghanaian youth hypertensive – Health Expert

Parents and health professionals have been urged to make blood pressure checks for children a routine practice, as more young people in Ghana are developing hypertension, a condition once believed to affect only adults.

Dr Elliot Koranteng, a Consultant Nephrologist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and Founder of Kidney Health International, revealed in an interview with The Spectator that about four per cent of Ghanaian youth aged 15 to 24 are hypertensive.

He warned that this trend signals a growing public health threat that requires urgent national attention.

“Hypertension is no longer a disease of adults. Many children are now developing high blood pressure, yet we rarely think of checking them,” Dr Koranteng said.

“It has never been part of routine medical checks for children, and that is dangerous because early signs often go unnoticed until serious complications occur,” he added.

He explained that most hospitals, including primary and secondary health facilities, lack blood pressure cuffs designed for children.

“We only have adult cuffs in many hospitals because no one thinks children can have high blood pressure. But some do, either from hereditary factors, kidney or heart problems, or even secondary causes like the use of bleaching creams by parents on their children,” he disclosed.

Dr Koranteng Tannor warned that untreated hypertension in childhood could lead to severe complications such as stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease at an early age.

He noted that several young patients are already on two or three different medications to manage their blood pressure.

“When you see 18-year-olds on chronic hypertension medication, it tells you how serious the problem is,” he emphasised.

Dr Tannor urged the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to integrate blood pressure screening for children into regular health checks at hospitals and schools.

“When a child complains of headaches, facial swelling, or tiredness, we should not only test for malaria. Their blood pressure should also be checked to rule out hypertension or related conditions like diabetes and kidney disease,” he advised.

He also called on parents to be proactive by requesting blood pressure checks for their children during hospital visits.

“The earlier hypertension is detected, the easier it is to manage. We cannot continue to assume that children are immune,” he cautioned.

Dr Tannor further appealed for public education on childhood hypertension, stressing that awareness and early detection were key to preventing a future crisis.

From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua