The Ghana Health Service in the Ashanti Region has raised concern over the growing burden of hypertension after hundreds of deaths linked to the condition and its complications were recorded in 2025.
Speaking at a media briefing on May 19, Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Fred Adomako Boateng, revealed that hypertension remains one of the leading causes of hospital visits in the region.
The region, per records from the Health Directorate, recorded 138,710 cases in 2025 alone.
“Although 43 deaths were directly attributed to hypertension in 2025, the condition was linked to many more fatalities through complications including stroke, cardiac arrest, congestive heart failure and cerebrovascular diseases. When all hypertension-related complications are put together, they contributed about 10.4 percent of all deaths in the Ashanti Region in 2025, representing 339 deaths,” Dr Adomako Boateng said.
He stressed that many of the deaths could be prevented through regular blood pressure checks, healthy lifestyles and early treatment.
The Director announced the region’s participation in the nationwide “Measure 1 Million Campaign,” an initiative aimed at screening one million people for hypertension through community outreach programmes.
“You cannot control what you do not measure and you cannot treat what you do not detect. This is why we are committed to the ‘measure 1 million’ campaign through community reach outreach activities ,” he stated.
The campaign will take screening and education beyond hospitals into markets, churches, mosques, schools, workplaces and homes to ensure early detection and treatment.
The Ghana Health Service is urging the public to regularly check their blood pressure and adopt healthier lifestyles to reduce the growing burden of hypertension in the region.
By Ibrahim Abubakar
