Health Essentials
Independence comes with responsibility
Sixty-four years of life in a human is quite an achievement especially when you find yourself in a part of the world where you are LUCKY to be born in a hospital, electricity and water are available during your birth and you have a pliable road connecting you to a hospital with a doctor and a nurse.
In those 64 years you would have had bitter exchanges with mosquitoes and you may even have flirted with typhoid and cholera. You will even consider yourself fortunate if you have access to medication whenever you fall ill and count yourself among the privileged few if the medicine you use is affordable.
In many instances God cures us so the healthcare professionals can take the credit. If you have managed to live this long in the midst of herbal concoctions that can cure virtually every disease and whose representatives artfully ply their trade on buses, bus stations and even in the open without fear then I congratulate you on being alive and healthy.
For obvious reasons many of these “pushers” have disappeared or don’t appear to have answer to COVID. Hmmm just when we needed their magic the most.
Sixty-four years on the other hand in the life of a country may not be that long but it is long enough to provide its citizens with the basic necessities of life; food, shelter, clothing, education, health, electricity and water among others.
64 years for a country is also long enough for leaders and citizens to lovingly neglect their conscience to the extent that a country that may have started fairly well will be found on its knees or maybe even have its face in the mud.
Who is willing to sacrifice for mother Ghana where George Orwell’s Animal Farm seems to be enacted on a daily basis? INDEPENDENCE comes with responsibility and sacrifice and as Ghanaians we have to come to the realization that the places that we admire so much were once like ours or even worse; we need to sacrifice, take pride in our own, treat everyone fairly and ALL of us have to put in our very best to save our motherland.
These past few days I have been thinking about being responsible as individuals.
Acting responsibly will go a long way to bring order, make us more efficient in all aspects, reduce corruption and make us healthy and wealthy as a nation, and then a few things caught my attention;
Throwing Safety to the dogs
It appears we just do not care about human life. From throwing people in jail without trial to creating death traps with the semblance of hospitals. Road construction is a major area of concern. Walking or driving in town during the day is dangerous but attempting to do the same at night is simply suicidal.
Last weekend as I walked along a pavement, I was totally shocked to find open drains, planks with nails jutting out, slabs not properly fixed and all these had no warning signs. How careless can we get?
In the situation above warning signs should have been all over the place and should have started over 50 metres from the construction site. I am sure someone is in charge of the work going on there and even those directly working on the site can be a little bit responsible. This is the norm rather than an isolated case.
Turning our roads into battlefields
If you are like me and many other Ghanaians you must be fed-up with the “important” people who instead of setting out early for an appointment like the rest of us do, would rather cut it close to the time and resort to blaring their horns, flashing their headlights and quite often may even be escorted by a peace officer. Really aren’t the rest of us who are painfully trudging along while we see the minutes tick away equally important and don’t we often have to work so money can be generated to construct more roads and purchase more cars that will push us off the roads?
Then you have to contend with commercial bus drivers who believe they are masters of the steering wheel and they also can’t afford to waste 30 seconds for their turn.
Can you imagine how annoying it is to see motor and bicycle riders jump the red-light with impunity and deliver unprintable words in your direction when you dare to complain?
Nobody seems to care when an ambulance with a critically ill person tries to make its way through traffic. Maybe people are tired of giving way only to find out the ambulance is carrying a corpse or is on its way to the market.
It’s almost a fight on the road; morning, afternoon and evening. You are drained by the time you arrive at work and I daresay your best bet is to take it easy and smile in the midst of all the confusion.
Abusing our children in unimaginable ways
The time has come when at the very least all teachers and healthcare professionals should be on the lookout when they come into contact with a child. Our children are suffering not only from sexual abuse but physical as well as verbal ones. Let us look out for tell-tale signs; an extra quiet child, unexplained marks on a child, a child who appears to be scared for no reason.
The boy-child is equally at risk when it comes to sexual abuse. We often make it appear only the females should be protected but there have been stories of ordeals that the male-child goes through. The boy-child in Ghana is slowly becoming an endangered species even when it comes to education. It is time to learn from the experience of the African-American male.
Fix our healthcare system else we perish together
Nature has a way of warning us years ahead. So COVID-19 made us aware that there can be a time when all borders may be closed and no matter how connected or wealthy you may be you cannot have access to healthcare except what you have grown at home; let us do the needful.
In our current state we can’t even start handpicking any sector or area, we must go for a complete overhaul of every part of our dear country. Fortunately there will be no march past, no speeches and no fanfare this year. Hopefully we will spend all the time reflecting on what we can do for mother Ghana and not the usual what can Ghana do for me or what can I steal from Ghana. Enough is enough.
On Independence Day, I salute all Ghanaians and may we all remember that just us OUR HEALTH IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY, INDEPENDENCE ALSO COMES WITH RESPONSIBILITY.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd/ St Andrews Clinic
Dr. Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise.
Thought for the week – “Our Independence is meaningless unless we take responsibility for everything we do and we all have a common goal of working tirelessly to ensure the prosperity of our nation.”
Health Essentials
Stop the silent killer: Breaking myths to prevent sudden deaths from high blood pressure
Every week in Ghana, a life is cut short, sometimes in the middle of traffic, sometimes at a desk, sometimes in the quiet of sleep. A father doesn’t come home. A sister doesn’t wake up.
A colleague slumps at work and never gets back up. Families are left asking why and you will hear statements like what happened? Was he sick? I just saw him, he has not shown signs of ailment, what a shock and so on.
Behind many of these sudden tragedies is a quiet, invisible force: high blood pressure, or hypertension. It doesn’t scream for attention. It doesn’t always show symptoms. But it tightens its grip silently on hearts, on brains, on lives.
This is not just a medical issue. It is a human one, it is about behaviour, it is about ignorance and it is about lifestyle. It is the grandmother who never got her blood pressure checked because she felt “fine.”
It is the taxi driver, the statistician, the nurse who ignored his pounding headaches, thinking it was just stress. It is the young lady who was so vibrant at church and no one suspected she could fall and die. Because it shows no symptoms.
The alarming numbers we cannot ignore
The Ghana’s 2023 STEPS Survey on Non-Communicable Diseases conducted by The World Health Organisation, Ghana Health Service and Ghana Statistical Service has revealed findings that should push for action.
According to the report, 21.7 per cent of adults aged 18 to 69 in Ghana are living with high blood pressure. Even more alarming is that 51.1 per cent of those with hypertension are not aware of their condition.
This means that more than half of the people with dangerously high blood pressure are walking around without knowing it until tragedy strikes. That is the real danger of this silent killer.
Literature has shown that hypertension is preventable and manageable. But only if we treat it like the threat, it is. That means regular checkups; that means understanding the risks and that means talking about it openly, urgently, and with compassion.
The deadly power of myths
Why are so many Ghanaians untested or untreated? Is it out of ignorance, or the pervasive myths about hypertension and its treatment?
• Some believe blood pressure medicine “weakens the body” or “shortens life.”
• Some believe blood pressure medicine “weakens the penis and kills sexual drive”
• Others think once you start taking medication, you are “dependent for life.”
• Many say, “I feel fine, so I must be fine.”
These beliefs are not only false, but they are also deadly. The truth, according to the World Health Organisation, is that effective treatment can reduce the risk of stroke by up to 40 per cent and heart attack by 25 per cent. Avoiding treatment does not prevent dependence rather, it accelerates death.
As Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, has noted, “Hypertension is preventable and treatable, but our biggest battle is misinformation and late detection.”
A national conversation we must have
This is not just a health issue it is a national emergency. Sudden deaths rob families of breadwinners, communities of leaders, and the country of its productivity. In every obituary notice caused by hypertension, there is a story of loss that could have been prevented with a simple blood pressure check and treatment.
Behind every life saved is a moment of awareness, a decision to act, therefore, the media must rise to the challenge.
Radio and television programmes should dedicate regular airtime to demystify hypertension. Newspapers should carry survivor stories, expert interviews, and practical lifestyle advice.
Social media influencers should spread awareness in local languages, reaching young people who assume they are safe.
Public health experts also have a responsibility. Screening must move beyond hospitals into churches, mosques, markets, schools, and workplaces. People should not have to wait for illness to know their BP status.
What we can do together
To stop the silent killer, we need a collective response:
• Check your blood pressure regularly, even if you feel healthy.
• Follow medical advice faithfully if diagnosed because treatment saves lives.
• For healthy lifestyle, eat less salt, reduce alcohol, reduce starchy, fat and oil intake, avoid smoking, and exercise at least 30 minutes daily.
• Encourage one another talk about blood pressure in families, communities, and workplaces.
Conclusion: Silence is killing us
What kills is not just the disease, but the silence, fear, and myths that surround it. The STEPS 2023 report has sounded the alarm: nearly one in five Ghanaian adults has high blood pressure, and more than half don’t even know it.
This is the time for bold conversation, public education, and decisive action. The media, health professionals, policymakers, and ordinary citizens must join forces to expose the myths, spread the facts, and save lives. Let us not wait for another headline.
Let us make blood pressure a national conversation before it becomes a personal tragedy. With awareness, treatment, and collective will, Ghana can stop the silence and stop the sudden deaths from the silent killer.
Written by: Ansah Moses Teye-Akam – Senior Statistician, Sociologist/Scientific Research Organisational Expert.
Email: moses.ansah@ statsghana.gov.gh/ansahmosesteyeakam@ gmail.com.gh Contact: 0244539034 / 0204359034
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On September 29 of each year since 2000, we mark World Heart Day without fail but it appears we find a comfortable place to doze off after that, leaving the world’s number one killer to continue its havoc.
This year, the theme “Don’t Miss a Beat” focuses on “the importance of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) health by emphasizing how losing someone to heart disease also means losing irreplaceable moments in life. It encourages individuals to prioritise heart health, not to miss important life events, and supports building a world with fewer deaths and more healthy hearts.”
Together with its members, the World Heart Federation spreads the news that at least 80 per cent of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided if the main risk factors, tobacco, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, are controlled.
Stop smoking and prevent others from smoking
a. Once upon a time, puffing the smoke of death was fashionable (maybe from a lack of adequate knowledge?) but certainly in 2025, a healthy lifestyle is in vogue. If you do not smoke, why should you inhale smoke from others (passive smoking)?
Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables
a. In Ghana and other developing countries, we often want something that will fill our stomach and stay there for as long as possible. Why do you think “concrete” is so revered in this great land of ours? Start the day with a hefty dose and top it up with frequent gulps of water. We always come up with 1001 reasons why eating fruits could lead to instant “pocketitis” and may signal the beginning of a third world war in many homes. We love to get into unnecessary arguments about whether fruits should be eaten before or after meals etc., just eat them!
b. We probably should consider buying fruits when they are in season since they are much cheaper at the time
c. Kontomire, cassava leaves and garden eggs, are great vegetables that will not cost you an arm and a leg. You also have the option of cabbage, lettuce etc.
d. The option of having a small garden is great but many of us do not have the luxury of space to do that.
Eat a healthy diet
a. LOW in saturated fats
i. Saturated fats can be found in animal products such as meat, milk, cheese and butter but be careful about plant products such as palm oil. Moderation is ALWAYS key.
b. LOW in refined carbohydrates
i. Our tongues have the power to make or unmake us – talking and eating are two examples of paths that can spell doom. We love sugar, perfumed rice (white), white flour, pasta (macaroni) and white bread and will make excuses to skip brown rice for instance.
c. LOW in salt
i.This is as simple as it is stated. Reduce the salt you put in food. Avoid adding salt to already cooked food. Flee from salted snacks and watch artificial flavouring.
Increase levels of physical activity
a. This is no drill on exercising but sitting on the sofa all evening or sitting at your desk for hours on end has not yet produced a healthy being. Household chores, gardening, walking even if it means while on the phone, using the stairs instead of the elevator all add up. The more you move the better for you. Dear friend, moving the TV remote does not account for much but maybe if you could walk to the TV to change channels or make other modifications then you would be on the right path.
Regular medical examinations to assess heart health
a. Beware of the modifiable risk factors for heart and blood vessels and check them often
i. Uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes, abnormal cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity and smoking
ii. Get evaluated for sleep apnoea especially if your snore could bring the walls down
Manage Stress
• Check the quality and quantity (duration) of your sleep and rest
• Be happy
• Spend time with people who make you laugh and those who have positive vibes. The pessimists will drain your energy.
Changing these habits and behaviours is possible but we need to be committed. Whatever we are today is by the grace of God and the choices we made before today. Make healthy choices that will protect your heart, and it will continue to perform well for many years to come.
Today many people have died from a heart disease, and others have gained HEART HEALTH, which group would you rather join? Wouldn’t you spend quality time with family and friends for many years rather than being bedridden or spend precious endless hours in hospitals trying to fix our heart and blood vessels.
We have the power to make the right choice and stick to it.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd/Medics Clinic
(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)
Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.
Thought for the week – “You have the opportunity to have a Heart Health Assessment at The Medics Clinic, Tse Addo from now through Saturday 4th October. Call 055-341- 1221 to set up an appointment or simply walk-in.”
References:
1. World Heart Federation Website
2. The Ten Commandments for A Healthy & Enjoyable Life: Dr Kojo Essel
By Dr Kojo Essel
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