Conference Abstract | Volume 9, Abstract 033 (ConfProc7) | Published: 04 May 2026
Sylvester Chinbuah1,2,&, Rita Asante2
1Sekondi Public Health Laboratory, Ghana Health Service, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, 2Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
&Corresponding author: Sylvester Chinbuah, Sekondi Public Health Laboratory, Ghana Health Service, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, Email: sylvester.chinbuah@ghs.gov.gh ORCID: 0000-0002-8279-462X
Received: 09 Aug 2025, Accepted: 28 Oct 2025, Published: 04 May 2026
Domain: Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Hypertension, Surveillance System Evaluation, Data Quality, Ghana
©Sylvester Chinbuah et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Sylvester Chinbuah et al. Evaluation of hypertension surveillance system in the Western Region of Ghana, 2025. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfProc7):033. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO7-0033
Hypertension remains a major public health challenge in Ghana, affecting approximately one in every five adults. To ensure effective monitoring and control, the hypertension surveillance system (HSS) was established. The rising prevalence of hypertension in Western Region, estimated between 27% and 34%, necessitates evaluation of this system. The aim was to determine the attributes and usefulness of the HSS in the Western Region and assess how well the system meets its objectives.
A descriptive cross-sectional evaluation was conducted in the Western Region using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for evaluating public health surveillance systems. The evaluation engaged 40 stakeholders across 14 districts. Data from 2020-2024 were collected through document reviews, health facility assessments, and key informant interviews across selected facilities in the region. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize findings and presented in text, tables and charts.
All (26/26) facilities assessed routinely screened for hypertension as reporting tools were user-friendly. From 2020-2024, 213,250 confirmed cases were reported, 64.5% (137,519/213,250) of which were females, with Tarkwa-Nsuaem District accounting for 32.8% (70,021/213,250). Hypertension prevalence peaked at 4.12% (49,456/1,200,388) in 2021, remaining below the 5% national threshold. Timeliness of report submission was 75% (252/336), and 88% (23/26) facilities have functional pressure monitors and use DHIMS consistently. However, only 30.6% (15/49) of monthly reporting forms were complete, with 70% data entry errors. A new DHIMS dataset/tool for hypertension screening was introduced with minimal disruption. Key interventions undertaken included 314 community screenings and training of coordinators.
The HSS in the Western Region was largely meeting its objectives and useful. The HSS was simple, acceptable, timely, stable and representative; however, it was neither flexible nor sensitive and data quality as poor. District Directors are encouraged to conduct regular data quality audits and supportive supervision to ensure accurate and complete reporting.
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