Claim: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) account for 42% of all mortality in Ghana
Source: President John Dramani Mahama
Verdict: Partly true
Researched by Nusrat Essah
President John Dramani Mahama on April 7, 2026, claimed that Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) account for 42% of all deaths in Ghana. He was speaking during his address at the One Health Summit in Lyon, France.
He said: “We must also take note of the changing disease burden in Africa, including the explosion of morbidity in non-communicable diseases. In Ghana, non-communicable diseases today account for 42% of all mortality. Infectious disease burdens also are changing, are varying. And so we must take note of all these.” (watch from 5mins:25secs)
This report will verify whether Non-Communicable Diseases account for 42% of all mortality in Ghana.
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Fact-Check
The Ministry of Health defines Non- Communicable Diseases (NCDs) as “a broad category of disease conditions characterized by the inability of the affected person to transmit the disease to another person.”
To verify the mortality rate attributed to NCDs, GhanaFact reviewed the latest available data, the Ghana STEPS Report 2023, conducted using the World Health Organisation (WHO) STEPwise approach.
The STEPwise approach to surveillance (STEPS) is “a simple, standardized method for collecting, analysing and disseminating data on key Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) risk factors in countries.”
According to the Ghana STEPS Report 2023, launched by the Ghana Health Service in October 2024; “In Ghana, the available data shows that NCDs account for approximately 45% of all deaths, with cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes being the major contributors.”
In September 2025, during the 7th National Strategic High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health, the World Health Organisation Representative in Ghana, Fiona Braka, also noted that NCD accounts for about 45% of deaths in the country.
In a recent interview on Joy News, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh put the NDC mortality percentage as between 42 and 45%. “NCDs are rising at an alarming rate in this country. About 42 to 45 percent of our mortalities are attributable to non-communicable diseases,” he said.
These figures indicate that the proportion of deaths caused by NCDs is within a range of 42 and 45%. It could be 42% or higher even though President Mahama’s claim was definitive.
| Data source | NCD mortality (%) |
| President John Mahama in Lyon summit | 42% |
| Ghana STEPS Report 2023 (released 2024) | Approximately 45% |
| WHO Ghana country rep, Fiona Braka (2025) | About 45% |
| Health Minister on Joy News (2026) | About 42 – 45% |
Verdict
President Mahama’s claim that NCDs account for 42% of all deaths in Ghana is, therefore, rated as partly true.
NCDs and the MahamaCares Initiative
President Mahama has introduced the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) to help combat the rising number of NCDs which account for a significant proportion of deaths in Ghana.
Also known as the MahamaCares, the initiative was officially launched on April 29, 2025, and subsequently passed into law by Parliament on July 22, 2025. It primarily aims to provide financial support for the treatment and management of chronic and life-threatening conditions, particularly NCDs, which are not currently included under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The Initiative highlights the growing recognition of the burden of NCDs in Ghana and the need for sustained investment in their prevention and management.
