{"id":97799,"date":"2025-10-09T17:10:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T17:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=97799"},"modified":"2025-10-09T17:10:50","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T17:10:50","slug":"garu-mp-demands-radical-overhaul-of-workspaces-to-combat-ncd-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=97799","title":{"rendered":"Garu MP demands radical overhaul of workspaces to combat NCD crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Member of Parliament (MP) for Garu, Dr. Thomas Anabah, has issued a strong challenge to employers across the public and private sectors, demanding a radical overhaul of workspaces to prioritise employee wellness and actively combat the escalating national burden of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs).<\/p>\n

Dr. Anabah, a key figure at the Ghana Health and Labour Summit 2025, organised by MentalPulse Africa in Accra on October 9, asserted that the workplace must shift from being merely a centre of production to a crucial front line for health prevention.<\/p>\n

The call comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that NCDs\u2014including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes\u2014account for approximately 43% of deaths in Ghana, with workplace-related stress and poor lifestyle choices being major contributors.<\/p>\n

Chairing the summit, themed \u201cMobilising Against NCDs: The Role of Workplaces in Safeguarding Employees Wellness,\u201d Dr. Anabah highlighted the direct link between poor work environments and chronic illness, citing several avoidable risk factors.<\/p>\n

Dr. Anabah said risk factors such as stress, poor nutrition, alcohol use, physical inactivity, long working hours, and soil contamination from illegal mining are directly linked to employee health.<\/p>\n

He emphasised that the fight against NCDs cannot be confined to the health sector alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we are truly serious about reducing NCDs\u2019 burden, then the fight must begin not only in our hospitals and clinics; it must include our offices, our factories, our schools, and then our farms,\u201d he stated, adding that \u201ca healthy workforce is the foundation of a productive nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

He argued that neglecting employee well-being results in a decline in productivity, a rise in healthcare costs (which strain the NHIS and private insurers), and ultimately a \u201cweakened social fabric\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat makes today\u2019s conversation not only timely but also very critical. The workplace is no longer just a place for production; it\u2019s a place for prevention, a place for protection, and a place for purpose,\u201d the legislator declared.<\/p>\n

Dr. Anabah stressed that making workplace health a strategic priority is in the mutual interest of all stakeholders: employers, workers, and the government. <\/p>\n

He commended the summit organisers for launching the Employee Toolkit in Ghana\u2019s Workplace Summit Declaration, describing it as a vital shift \u201cfrom intent to action\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are practical tools that do not just inspire conversation but also shape policies that can transform our work culture,\u201d he said. \u201cI urge every employer, public and private, to adopt them holistically, not as compliance toolkits, but as leading guidance guides for creative organisations and businesses that truly care for their people.\u201d<\/p>\n

He further called for a massive collaborative effort among key government agencies, trade unions (representing over 3 million workers), professional associations, and civil society to fully integrate well-being into institutional core practice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt requires that we make well-being part of the DNA of every institution in Ghana,\u201d he emphasised.<\/p>\n

The MP urged Ghana to assume a leadership role ahead of the high-level meeting on NCDs scheduled for the 80th United Nations General Assembly. He noted that demonstrating domestic success would bolster the nation\u2019s international credibility.<\/p>\n

\u201cGhana must stand ready, not merely to participate, but to lead. We must demonstrate leadership by showing that the fight against NCDs is not solely a health sector issue but that it is an economic, labour, and social justice imperative,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Dr. Anabah concluded by calling on all stakeholders to recognise the immense value of the country\u2019s human capital.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet us commit ourselves to one shared vision, to build workplaces that nurture health and human dignity. To create institutions where well-being is not a privilege, but a standard,\u201d he said, before officially launching the forum.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"GaruMember of Parliament (MP) for Garu, Dr. Thomas Anabah, has issued a strong challenge to employers across the public and private sectors, demanding a radical overhaul of workspaces to prioritise employee wellness and actively combat the escalating national burden of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs).<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[536,7,1883,8931,117,10,9,10178],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ghana","category-health","category-national","category-ncd","category-news","category-politics","category-popular","category-stress"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=97799"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97799\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=97799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=97799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=97799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}