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By Christian Ahodie
Over 25% of Ghanaian adults live with hypertension, according to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and a WHO STEPwise survey. Among youth aged 15 to 49, the prevalence is around 13%, with many unaware of their condition. The statistics paint a troubling picture of a health crisis taking root among Ghana’s most active age group—those between 23 and 45 years.
Alcohol and tramadol misuse are intensifying the problem. A 2017 study in the Volta Region revealed that 43% of young people consume alcohol regularly, often due to stress, peer pressure, and easy accessibility. Meanwhile, the WHO estimates that Ghanaian men consume up to 12.7 liters of alcohol per capita annually. Tramadol abuse, according to reports by the Food and Drugs Authority and the GHS, surged dramatically between 2020 and 2022. In some regions, between 25% and 78% of youth—especially among drivers, artisans, and the unemployed—admit to regular use.
The crisis is unfolding silently across urban Ghana, from Accra’s crowded neighborhoods to the streets of Ho, where the line between survival and self-destruction blurs. Young people are caught in a web of stress, poor diets, long working hours, and dangerous coping mechanisms.
Senyo, a 24-year-old commercial motor rider in Ho, swears by tramadol—locally called “Red”—to get through his 16-hour days. “With tramadol, I ride like a Jaguar,” he says. But that strength comes at a price: pounding headaches, chest pains, and once, a collapse at a traffic checkpoint.
For Adevu, 35, a cleaner juggling two jobs in Accra, daily shots of local gin became a way to decompress—until her left arm went numb. She was later diagnosed with critically high blood pressure.
Experts link these personal stories to deeper structural issues. Urban life, with its chronic noise pollution, overcrowding, high food prices, and poor housing, has created a perfect storm for early-onset hypertension. Many youth depend on processed, salty foods and stimulants like alcohol and tramadol not just to relax—but to endure.
“We’re now seeing hypertensive patients in their early 30s who also have a history of substance abuse,” says Dr. Ama Mensah, a cardiologist at a private clinic in Accra. “Alcohol and tramadol are significant accelerants—and it’s hitting our workforce hard.”
The Ghana Health Service reports that nearly 50% of hypertensive individuals are unaware of their condition, and only about 40–50% of those on medication have their blood pressure under control. While direct national data linking substance abuse to hypertension remains limited, regional studies by institutions such as the University of Ghana, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, and the CHORUS Research Programme confirm a dangerous overlap.
At a recent urban health workshop in Accra hosted by the University of Ghana’s School of Public Health under the CHORUS Programme, experts didn’t mince words.
“The death toll among young people due to drug and alcohol abuse is rising—but going unrecorded,” warned Dr. Charity Binka, Executive Director of Women, Media and Change (WEMEC). “We must act now before it becomes a full-blown disaster.”
Delali Kumapley, Coordinator of the CHORUS Urban Health Project, added: “Urban health doesn’t begin in hospitals. It begins in our homes, streets, and minds. We’re committed to making that connection visible.”
Health professionals and advocates are calling for urgent multi-sectoral action. They recommend mass blood pressure screenings in markets, garages, lorry parks, and construction sites—especially targeting young men and women. They also urge tighter regulation of tramadol and alcohol sales, including the enforcement of prescription-only access and stiffer penalties for illegal vendors.
Other recommendations include integrating substance abuse counseling into existing clinics that manage non-communicable diseases, launching urban wellness programs and community-based mental health support, and rolling out a nationwide media campaign linking drug use to hypertension and early death—particularly targeting youth audiences.
This crisis is more than a public health issue—it’s a national emergency. When young people fall sick or die in their most productive years, the ripple effect weakens families, drains the economy, and threatens the nation’s future.
As hypertension becomes the silent killer of Ghana’s working class, the link between urban stress, substance abuse, and chronic illness can no longer be ignored.
The clock is ticking—on blood pressure, and on Ghana’s youth.
