By Emmanuella Sarfo
Copyright ghanaguardian
Dr. Albert Agbi, a senior cardiology resident at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, has raised alarm over the rising prevalence of hypertension in Ghana, calling it a “silent killer” that often goes undetected until it causes serious health issues.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Friday, September 19, 2025, Dr. Agbi revealed that one in every 10 adult Ghanaians is affected by hypertension, yet fewer than half of them are aware of their condition.
“About 34% of adult Ghanaians in our latest data are hypertensive. This means three out of every 10 adult Ghanaians you see have hypertension, and less than 50% of this number know that they are hypertensive,” he said.
He attributed the widespread unawareness to poor health-seeking behavior, with many people avoiding routine check-ups because they believe they are healthy.
“Most people will tell you, ‘I don’t get sick, so I don’t go to the hospital.’ They move about without checking their blood pressure or sugar levels, not knowing that a lot of damage is going on in the background,” he explained.
Dr. Agbi stressed that hypertension is particularly dangerous because it often shows no early symptoms.
“Hypertension is called a silent killer because when you have it, you don’t experience symptoms. It is not like malaria where you get headaches or other obvious signs. You can go for years without knowing, and when the symptoms finally show up, they are very complicated,” he said.
He urged Ghanaians to make regular hospital visits and routine check-ups a habit in order to detect hypertension early and reduce the risk of life-threatening complications such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.
