Chronic diseases among the aged reported at Cape Coast Metropolitan Hospital

Adoma Owusu Prince, University of Cape Coast

Significant changes have occurred in the patterns of disease and population. As a result, chronic diseases are becoming major public health burden in Ghana, which is grabbed with difficulties of communicable diseases. Facility-based data was used to analyse the types of chronic disease reported in 2004 and 2009. It was realised that hypertensive heart disease was highly reported among the aged ( 2009 – 45.3%). This was followed by chronic heart diseases (average of 13.2%). Chronic respiratory diseases were least reported (eg. 2009 – 3.3%). Female (eg. 2004 – 62.8%) out number male as well as the 60-75yr group (young-old) represented the largest proportion for the chronic challenge. In conclusion, chronic diseases were high among young-old aged female than male but the proportion of the male seemed increasing in all ages. To encourage healthy aging, much attention should be given to issues of chronic disease in the health facilities.