Health Essentials
Turning our roads into battlefields
Potholes on the road
I am so optimistic about Ghana making major positive gains by making small changes that people have often misinterpreted my passion for our dear country.
I have been excited by the War Against Indiscipline (#WAI) initiated by CitiFM; without a doubt by favourite media house. It is a tedious process and it’s not surprising that my folks are on a short “break”.
As part of my contribution to the “struggle” I am re-producing an article I wrote about a decade ago after an ambulance ride with a client from Aburi to a hospital in Accra.
It is often said that “all is fair in love and war” but have you not heard of people who have been tried and punished for war crimes? Love birds who have allowed jealousy to rule them have had to exchange their beds at home with that of a cell. After an ambulance ride across Accra I have concluded that “all is fair on our roads.”
Our roads are competing with war zones for honours. Which one kills more? Which one maims more? The list of atrocities is endless. Ghana loses over $230million every year to road traffic accidents and 60 percent of these accidents are caused by over-speeding and drunk driving.
Some of our roads may have potholes or pits and in a few areas we have huge crevices with roads in between them but after all is said and done our attitude is probably our greatest setback.
During my ambulance ride with a patient I realised that from the ‘trotro’ driver who found himself behind the wheels of a vehicle through a miraculous act, the apparently well-educated middle-aged young lady driving an SUV who felt it was her right to keep driving despite the obviously blaring siren of the ambulance, to the policeman who kept directing traffic totally oblivious of his surroundings and of course the cyclist who felt it was okay to cross an ambulance, we all need to get back to the basics of road use
Using the road can be likened to a stint on the battlefield. There is chaos! Drivers stop, turn and move at will without signaling and if you should complain you will be greeted with a barrage of insults. I pity anyone who lives more than four miles from their place of work.
You will often arrive at work drained by the stress and you return home cursing. That mood is certainly not good for innocent family members.
We will not be able to control road traffic accidents and its effects only by wearing seatbelts, making sure our vehicles are road worthy and our streets well lit. We need to take a close look at changing our attitude and we will look at a few areas.
1. THE POLICE
a. I like the police, they protect us and I have many friends in the unit but I worry a lot when I see an “arrest” being made of a car with a DVLA plate or some other trivial reason right in the middle of the Kwame Nkrumah Circle. Please keep the traffic moving and let other colleagues at vantage points deal with such issues. Of course there may be instances when the crime is so unpardonable that you will need to stop them even if it requires creating traffic by getting someone to move all the way out of the inner lane. I hope the police have a means of communicating with their colleagues.
2. ROAD SIGNS
a. The George Bush Highway is beautiful but certainly incomplete. Road markings and directional signs are rare. Quite often the turning you need to use will just creep up on you. The busy drivers who think waiting is a crime will not think twice before crossing three lanes of fast moving cars to get to the turning. I think we should have several directional signs starting at least two miles from each turning to help us choose the appropriate lane. I guess those in-charge expect us to learn over time but that is disastrous.
3. KNOWLEDGE OF REGULATIONS
a. I do not think even 50 percent of our road users have a clue about regulations and ethics on the road. Most of us are limited. I see trucks moving at snail pace in the inner lanes all the time. Why can’t we have signs that read “inner lane only for overtaking?”
b. The folks driving the bullion vans are real bullies. Why do they think they have the right to switch their hazard lights on and drive facing oncoming traffic? It is so scary.
I think there is a law that prevents them from doing that. I think they rather draw attention to themselves. Really! Do they always have money in there?
c. These days anyone riding a beautiful luxury car thinks he should not stay in traffic. They often behave just like the bullion van drivers. If you need to engage in any antics on the road, please keep us safe and request for police escort.
4. ROAD CONSTRUCTION (POT HOLES AND PITS)
a. I always cringe when I have to use a road at night especially when I have not used it in over 24 hours. There are huge pits at several junctions and you definitely will need to visit the mechanic when you accidentally fall into one. You will be lucky if your car does not need bodyworks after such an encounter. Yes we will always leave such pits uncovered and with no warning signs.
b. Why don’t we maintain our roads? We only do some work when there is a problem or one of the amenity providers decides to lay a cable right across the road. Certainly we cannot spare time to cover up this mess properly.
c. We dodge speed ramps (or hills), potholes etc. with total disregard for oncoming vehicles. It does not matter to us that we are moving into their lanes and need to wait till the time is right. How can you, with an impatient taxi driver hooting his horn behind you.
5. SPEED LIMITS
a. We speed unnecessarily in residential areas, in congested urban slums and in places you can never imagine. What is the hurry? Can we have signs with speed limits please!
b. I have seen vehicles (including myself) stopped for over-speeding on a quiet but good highway but not once in a residential area.
6. RIDERS
a. I thought all road users; and this includes pedestrians and riders (cyclists, bikers) had to obey traffic regulations. The riders will flout the law and ride boldly through a red light even in the full glare of uniformed men. Pardon me but not once have I (emphasis on I) seen one of such riders being arrested. Not only do they put their own lives at risk but they also cause accidents when oncoming vehicles have to brake suddenly to avoid hitting them.
7. POLLUTION
a. Don’t we have any laws restricting the honking of horns? We need to stop this noise pollution. Some drivers think it is fun to toot their horns and they will even do this while they are parked or even in the vicinity of a hospital.
b. The exhaust fumes do not need any further introduction.
8. LITTERING OUR ROADS
a. Riding in a vehicle does not give you the mandate to throw rubbish onto the street. We need to keep our roads clean
b. To the drivers of trucks that transport our garbage. Why do you punish us for paying you to provide us with a service? Do these people intentionally drop garbage on the road so that they can create space to load more? I know those in charge are reading.
Our roads are sending us to our graves instead of making us more comfortable and we all need to work together to save lives that contribute meaningfully to nation building.
We can win this battle against Indiscipline on our roads and all others will be added!!
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)
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd/ Mobissel
(dressel@healthessentialsgh. com)
*Dr. Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified 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 – Join me on Saturday
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
