{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T03:54:24Z","timestamp":1791258864542,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791158400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791158400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Public Health Challenges"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>One of Ghana's most significant yet under\u2010recognized public health issues is hypertension, which is driving, increases in cardiovascular disease, disability and premature mortality. Despite ongoing improvements in primary healthcare and increased access through the National Health Insurance Scheme, the prevalence of hypertension remains high, and knowledge, treatment and management levels remain unacceptably low. In this perspective, we examine Ghana's hypertension crisis from three interrelated perspectives: the changing epidemiology and population distribution of hypertension; the barriers to effective prevention and long\u2010term control at the individual, community and health\u2010system levels; and priority policy and implementation pathways for improving hypertension management. Drawing on data from regional studies, national surveys and facility\u2010based research, we argue that Ghana's hypertension burden reflects broader structural changes linked to urbanization, dietary change and the ongoing fragmentation of the health system. We argue that present trends cannot be reversed by relying simply on fragmented, episodic hypertension care models that prioritize treatment over holistic prevention, follow\u2010up and long\u2010term management. To achieve long\u2010term progress, primary health care must be strengthened through the implementation of the World Health Organization's (WHO) HEARTS Technical Package, which includes standardized treatment protocols, reliable access to essential medicines and validated blood pressure devices, team\u2010based care, population\u2010level prevention strategies and robust health information systems. Effectively managing hypertension is consequently crucial for lowering cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and for demonstrating Ghana's ability to respond fairly and sustainably to the expanding problem of non\u2010communicable diseases.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/puh2.70410","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T03:47:36Z","timestamp":1791258456000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Confronting Ghana's Hypertension Crisis: Epidemiology, Barriers, and Policy Pathways"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"5","author":[{"given":"Michael Asiedu","family":"Owiredu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Seventh Day Adventist Valley View Hospital  Oyibi Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Obaa Yaa Asantewaa","family":"Korsah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"New Edubiase Government Hospital  New Edubiase Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Margaret","family":"Addo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gbawe Seventh\u2010Day Adventist Hospital  Gbawe Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maame Afua","family":"Korsah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Kaneshie Polyclinic  Accra Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sule","family":"Apaame","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gbawe Seventh\u2010Day Adventist Hospital  Gbawe Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4470-4504","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Seth Offei","family":"Addo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Parasitology Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research University of Ghana  Accra Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_11_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5334\/GH.1288"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jacc.2022.11.001"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1377\/HLTHAFF.2017.0708"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/J.CEGH.2021.100951"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1161\/01.HYP.0000075083.04415.4B"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"J.Addo L.Smeeth andD. A.Leon \u201cHypertension in Sub\u2010Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review \u201dHypertension (Dallas Tex.\u00a0: 1979)50 no.6(2007) 1012\u20131018 https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1161\/HYPERTENSIONAHA.107.093336.","DOI":"10.1161\/HYPERTENSIONAHA.107.093336"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/FCVM.2022.990616"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/JOURNAL.PONE.0248137"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/JOURNAL.PONE.0205985"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.15420\/ECR.2019.11.1"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/S12961\u2010024\u201001242\u20103"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/S11906\u2010023\u201001286\u2010W"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_14_1","volume-title":"HEARTS: Technical Package for Cardiovascular Disease Management in Primary Health Care: Risk\u2010Based CVD Management","author":"WHO","year":"2020"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/S41371\u2010022\u201000688\u20108"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/S13643\u2010021\u201001770\u2010X"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13557858.2018.1439898"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/S12872\u2010020\u201001370\u2010Y"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/SRAT\/1622597"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/2013\/634798"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/hsr2.70519"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/NOP2.1855"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.9734\/IJTDH\/2019\/V35I330122"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare13050479"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.11604\/PAMJ.2021.39.184.27977"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5334\/AOGH.4246"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/J.HPOPEN.2020.100009"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/JOURNAL.PONE.0149680"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa2105675"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/JOURNAL.PMED.1003015"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/JOURNAL.PONE.0165151"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140\u20106736(25)00561\u20106"}],"container-title":["Public Health Challenges"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/puh2.70410","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1002\/puh2.70410","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/puh2.70410","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T03:47:37Z","timestamp":1791258457000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/puh2.70410"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]]},"references-count":31,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,12]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1002\/puh2.70410"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/puh2.70410","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["2769-2450","2769-2450"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2769-2450","type":"print"},{"value":"2769-2450","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2026-04-24","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-09-29","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-10-05","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"e70410"}}