Strengthening Cardiovascular Care in Ghana: Early Detection, Equity and Evidence-based Practice- A Case Study at Presbyterian Hospital, Agogo

Abstract

Background
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of morbidity, hospitalization, and death in Ghana. Ghana has put up NCD policies and national programs to improve CVD care. Yet, CVD cases continue to rise with majority of cases showing up in their late-stage. This study analyses outpatient department (OPD) trends in hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and heart failure at the Presbyterian Hospital, Agogo between 2015 and 2025, to assess the need for early detection and policy alignment to strengthen cardiovascular care.

Methods
A retrospective descriptive analysis was conducted using OPD attendances data on hypertension, diabetes, and heart failure collected between 2015 and 2025 extracted from the Presbyterian Hospital, Agogo health information system. Extracted data was visually inspected and annualized totals compiled and summarized graphically.

Results
Total CVD OPD attendances rose by 17.7% from 2015 to 26,098 in 2025, with a 385 peak in 2024. Hypertension cases were 204,293 (73.0%) of CVD OPD attendances while 25.8% were diabetes, and 1.2% heart failure attendances. The CVDs especially diabetes showed oscillating patterns with a progressive increase over time creating an unexplained anomaly. Cases of heart 4 failure were noted to increase significantly by 169% by 2025 from the baseline indicating poor upstream management.

Conclusions
The growing CVD OPD cases at the Presbyterian Hospital, Agogo reflect the growing disease burden and pressure on the district and national health systems. The oscillations in case attendances further indicate a concern in health-seeking behaviors, gaps in access to continuous care and early detection at the community levels highlighting a wider national challenge. The findings call