Mrs Beatrice Kayi Gbesemete, a Health and Wellness Expert with Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult), has issued a strong call to action, urging Ghanaians to prioritise their health by adopting conscious and healthier lifestyles.
Emphasising the critical importance of wellness, she noted that informed lifestyle choices have a significant impact on quality of life.
Mrs Gbesemete, who is also a Sapphire Director at LivePure – People United Reaching Everyone, a USA-based health and wellness company – expressed concern over the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity in Ghana. These conditions, she explained, are largely driven by unhealthy lifestyle habits.
She delivered her message during the launch of the rejuvenated CDA Consult weekly health education series, Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility! – an initiative designed to promote health literacy and encourage positive behavioural change among the public.
Speaking on the importance of preventive health, Mrs Gbesemete highlighted several key areas where individuals can make improvements. She encouraged the consumption of balanced diets rich in whole foods, fruits, and vegetables, noting that such nutrition can prevent many chronic diseases.
She also underscored the value of regular physical activity, such as walking or jogging, as a way to improve cardiovascular health and overall well-being.
Additionally, Mrs Gbesemete advised Ghanaians to adopt stress management practices such as meditation to support mental health.
By embracing these healthier habits, she explained, individuals can benefit from “reduced risk of chronic diseases, improved energy levels, and enhanced overall physical well-being.”
She added, “A healthier lifestyle will lead to improved mental health, reduced stress, enhanced general mood, improved productivity, creativity, and overall quality of life.”
Mrs Gbesemete urged Ghanaians to take ownership of their health and understand that living healthily should be a lifelong commitment, not an option.
“Let us make conscious choices and embrace healthier habits, through which Ghanaians can improve their quality of life and contribute to a healthier, more prosperous society,” she stressed.
CDA Consult Executive Director, Mr Francis Ameyibor, also warned about the dangers of rising sedentary lifestyles in Ghana, citing factors such as long hours of sitting, limited physical activity, and over-reliance on motorised transport.
“Our current way of life – modes of transportation, working in a seated position for long hours, and other new ways of doing things – imply that we are less active,” he noted.
He described sedentary lifestyles as a growing public health crisis and stressed the need for immediate intervention. Mr Ameyibor explained that the Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility! campaign was designed to use four communication approaches—informing, instructing, convincing, and promoting—to influence public health behaviour.
The initiative is part of CDA Consult’s broader health advocacy programme, the Holistic Health Information Change Paradigm Advocacy, which aims to support the work of health professionals and empower the public with information to prevent NCDs.
Mr Ameyibor further highlighted CDA Consult’s ongoing campaign against cervical cancer in Ghana. The campaign seeks to raise awareness, promote free HPV vaccinations, and accelerate early detection and treatment to eliminate cervical cancer.
He recalled that in 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) member states approved a global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030 through scaled-up intervention efforts. WHO data indicates that in 2021, $94.7 million was invested in HPV vaccination and $66.6 million in cervical cancer screen-and-treat programmes.
However, he cautioned that global funding remains insufficient.
At the current pace, only about $1.6 billion—15 percent of the $10.5 billion needed—will be mobilised by 2030 to meet the cervical cancer elimination targets in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
Mr Ameyibor reaffirmed CDA Consult’s commitment to continue mobilising support and awareness to fast-track efforts to achieve the WHO 2030 goal in Ghana.
