Rt. Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, stated that Parliament is willing to collaborate with the Ghana Red Cross Society to increase public awareness of the crippling effects of non-communicable diseases and to investigate legal, policy, and regulatory options to reduce the rise in the incidence of such diseases.
The Ghana Red Cross Society’s executives, led by its president, Mr Kwame Gyimah-Akwafo, paid him a courtesy visit while in Accra. The purpose of the tour was to consider how to collaborate with Parliament on some of the health issues that the Society was concerned about and that required extensive and ongoing awareness-raising.
Currently, non-communicable diseases—which are typically illnesses of the internal organs—account for around 70% of morbidity and fatalities, including cancer, hypertension, diabetes, cerebrovascular accidents (strokes), and stress. In addition, there is a concerning trend where, contrary to earlier times, these diseases are increasingly affecting young people.
The Rt. Hon. Speaker recommended the Red Cross Society vary its approaches to illness prevention, treatment, and management, as well as other health-related actions. He cited the growth of social media and mainstream media as two examples of how these developments have created new chances for changing attitudes and communicating about health.
If the Red Cross Society could reignite the sense of camaraderie and sense of community that it inspired among the many Ghanaians who yearned to join the Society in the past, he claimed that more might be done to improve the health and general well-being of Ghanaians.
In order to facilitate its work, he recommended the Red Cross to create and maintain mutually beneficial cooperation with all facets of society, notably the various branches of government.
The team was reassured by Rt. Hon. Bagbin that because Parliament is the house of the people, it is in a good position to assist the establishment of a strong national Red Cross Society. In that vein, he declared, Parliament will keep up its support for Ghanaians.
According to Mr. Gyimah-Akwafo, the majority of non-communicable diseases that are common among Ghanaians are largely a result of the affected individuals’ lifestyle choices. Such disorders are influenced by dietary issues, an individual’s exercise routine, and other ingrained habits.
