Mahama warns against late-night eating as Ghana tackles NCDs crisis

John Mahama warned against late-night eating on April 15, 2026 at the Shai Osudoku District Hospital. He said, "Please, by seven o'clock, eat your dinner and don't eat again. If you are hungry, just take a cup of tea or something. Don't eat any heavy food (such as banku) in the evening."

President Mahama linked poor dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles to the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which he described as the leading disease burden in Ghana. He noted that conditions such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, hypertension, strokes, cardiovascular diseases and kidney failure were increasingly prevalent due to lifestyle changes. The Free Primary Healthcare Programme is designed to shift the country's health system from a treatment-focused approach to one centered on prevention, early detection and community-level care. The Free Primary Healthcare complements the National Health Insurance, and basic services such as screening will be free of charge at Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds.

To support implementation, the President announced plans to deploy health professionals and volunteers, including national service personnel and trained but unposted nurses, to primary healthcare facilities across the country. The policy is expected to be rolled out across 150 districts nationwide, supported by the distribution of approximately 24,000 pieces of medical equipment.