Ghana has recorded a steady and worrying increase in stroke cases over the past three years. The numbers are rising by thousands for every 100,000 people in the population.

Public Health Physician and Health Systems Researcher at the Ministry of Health (MoH), Dr Mavis Sakyi, disclosed the trend in Accra on Monday, 24 August. She revealed that nearly 48 per cent of the stroke cases occurred among men aged between 30 and 49 years. She described this figure as “quite alarming”.

Speaking at a national stakeholder consultation on Food Is Medicine (FIM), Dr Sakyi said many of the patients presented with severe forms of the condition known as hemorrhagic strokes. These generally carry a poor prognosis.

She provided the annual figures: 24,840 cases in 2023 (77.4 per 100,000 population). In 2024, there were 26,758 cases (81.1 per 100,000), and 29,483 cases in 2025 (87.36 per 100,000).

According to Dr Sakyi, evidence shows that a large proportion of people living with hypertension and diabetes are not managing their conditions effectively. This poor management is leading to complications such as stroke.

“It could be that they are not getting their medication or they are getting it but they are not taking it,” she said.

She emphasised that diet plays a critical role in the management of these non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

“This is why we have called the stakeholder meeting. We need to improve our diets, reduce unhealthy diets and help bring down the Non-Communicable Diseases burden,” she stated.

The Ashanti, Greater Accra, Volta and Oti regions currently record the highest proportions of stroke cases. The leading districts include Oforikrom, Korle Klottey, Bekwai, Ayawaso West and Keta.

Dr Sakyi also shared data on related conditions. Hypertension cases stood at 549,527 in 2023 (1,711.6 per 100,000) and rose to 577,374 in 2025 (1,710.79 per 100,000). Diabetes mellitus cases increased from 181,769 in 2023 (566.2 per 100,000) to 201,022 in 2025 (595.64 per 100,000).

She attributed the higher stroke burden among men partly to their lower rate of hospital visits compared to women. Women, she noted, tend to visit health facilities more frequently due to factors such as pregnancy. This increases opportunities for screening.

Hotspot districts for hypertension include Ayawaso West in Accra, Atwima Nwabiagya and Obuasi East in the Ashanti Region, Korle Klottey in Accra, and New Juaben in the Ashanti Region. For diabetes, Ayawaso West tops the list. In addition, it is followed by Obuasi East, Kwahu West and Old Tafo.

The stakeholder consultation was organised by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the School of Public Health at the University of Ghana. The meeting focused on integrating food and nutrition interventions into Ghana’s healthcare programmes.

Food Is Medicine refers to a range of food-based interventions that are incorporated into healthcare for people with specific health conditions, often those facing nutrition or social risks. Unlike general nutrition education, FIM interventions are clinically informed. Their eligibility, food content and intensity are linked to a formal care plan.

Countries that have piloted and scaled FIM programmes have reported improvements in disease management. There are also better patient outcomes and, in some cases, lower long-term healthcare costs.

The consultation aimed to develop a context-appropriate understanding of FIM in Ghana. It also aimed to reach agreement on suitable models and research priorities. In addition, the meeting sought to clarify institutional roles and governance arrangements for a proposed national platform.

Director of Allied Health at the MoH, Dr Ignatius Awinibuno, highlighted the contribution of poor nutrition, limited access to affordable healthy foods, and food environments that encourage unhealthy choices to the rising NCD burden.

“Nutrition and food provision services remain insufficiently integrated into our clinical pathways. Something must be deliberately done about it, and I think this is what the FIM seeks to address,” he said.

“Food is medicine approaches, such as produce prescriptions, medically tailored groceries and meals delivered alongside structured nutrition assessment, counselling, and clinical follow-up, are very important towards achieving our goals,” he added.

Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Dr Sebastian Sandaare, described NCDs as a present national emergency that is claiming lives prematurely. It is also impoverishing households, reducing productivity and placing increasing pressure on the health system. He described the FIM initiative as timely because it links prevention with treatment. Additionally, it connects clinical care with the food system and professional advice with practical access to appropriate food.

Professor Amos Laar, Head of the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at the School of Public Health, said the meeting sought to explore how clinically appropriate food and nutrition services could become a core component of healthcare delivery. This also includes food systems performance in Ghana.

The discussions form part of broader efforts to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases through practical, nutrition-focused interventions.