Most adults in Accra who have high blood pressure or diabetes do not know it. Both are silent for years, both are common here, and both are cheap to find early and expensive to find late, usually at the moment of a stroke.
So the most useful health habit available in Ghana is also free: a yearly check.
The NHIA’s free annual check-up
The National Health Insurance Authority launched a free annual health check-up in 2024. What it offers:
- Who: Ghanaians aged 18 and over - whether or not you are enrolled in NHIS. Members and Ghana Card holders are meant to be invited once a year.
- What: blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index (weight against height), with advice and a referral if anything is out of range.
- Where: designated public and private facilities, credentialed by the NHIA. Ask at your nearest NHIS-accredited clinic or hospital, or call the NHIA.
It is a screening, not a full medical: it finds the people who need to see a doctor. Take the numbers it gives you to that doctor.
Other free and cheap checks
- Pharmacies across Accra will take your blood pressure, and many check blood sugar for a small fee. Fine for keeping an eye on things; get anything high confirmed by a doctor.
- Health screenings at churches, workplaces and outreach events, often on World Health Day, World Diabetes Day and World Heart Day. Useful, but keep the results and follow up.
- Antenatal care includes blood pressure, blood sugar and blood tests at every visit, free under NHIS.
What is worth asking for
The NHIA check covers the three things that matter most. Depending on your age, sex and family history, a doctor may add:
| Test | Why |
|---|---|
| Cholesterol (lipid profile) | With high blood pressure, the main driver of heart disease and stroke |
| Kidney function | High blood pressure and diabetes both damage the kidneys, quietly |
| HbA1c | Your average blood sugar over about three months - better than one reading |
| Sickle cell status | If you do not know your genotype, especially before having children |
| HIV, hepatitis B and C | Common, treatable, and often found late |
| Cervical screening | For women: a smear or VIA test catches cervical cancer early |
| Breast and prostate checks | By age and family history - ask |
After the check
If a reading is high, one reading is not a diagnosis: blood pressure in particular rises with stress, a rushed walk to the clinic, or a trotro ride. It needs repeating. But do repeat it, within weeks, not next year.