How might we prevent and control NCDs in Ghana in order to relieve the Ghanaian health care system?
Welcome to the lab of tomorrow, an initiative to kickstart businesses and development in emerging markets. In this section, learn more about the challenges related to the prevention and control of NCDs in Ghana.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – diseases which are not transmissible from person to person such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases – account for 43 % of all deaths in Ghana. The majority of NCDs are preventable which is an urgent challenge more than ever because people living with NCDs are highly vulnerable to COVID-19. Each sub challenge below is a critical component of addressing the overall challenge and presents an unaddressed business opportunity.
How might we enable pharmacies to provide the most affordable and effective drugs to NCD patients in a world where effectiveness is hard to determine and where people doubt the quality of generics?
How might we provide NCD patients with approved, easily accessible testing and monitoring system so they are empowered to conveniently manage their situation?
How might we connect pharmacists, clinics and labs in order to offer coordinated and continuous NCD treatment (e.g. follow-up appointments, adherence to treatment protocols)?
How might we engage busy urban and peri-urban dwellers to keep a healthy lifestyle that avoids NCDs, in the face of cultural comforts that prevent them from doing so?