The Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) held its Annual Scientific Review Meeting on March 10th, 2026 bringing together health researchers, stakeholders, and policy actors to assess the Centre’s operational achievements, research outputs, and strategic direction for strengthening evidence-based health interventions in Ghana.
The meeting which was held on the theme’ “Improving NCD Prevention and Management at the Primary Healthcare Level: The Role of Health Research” provided a platform to evaluate the Centre’s health research activities and outcomes, achievements for the pass 3 years, and strategic direction while reinforcing its mandate to generate evidence to inform national and international health policies with a particular focus on innovative approaches to improving health outcomes at the primary healthcare level.
Non-communicable diseases identified as major public health threat
Delivering a keynote address during the review, Dr. John Williams described non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as the leading cause of death among adults in Ghana, stressing the urgent need for collective action.
“Non-communicable diseases are a big burden to Ghanaians. They make a lot of people sick and they kill many people. In fact, they are listed as the major killer of adults in Ghana today,” he said.
Dr. Williams noted that cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and heart attacks, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases remain the most prevalent NCDs affecting the Ghanaian population. He attributed the rising incidence largely to lifestyle-related risk factors including smoking, unhealthy diets, alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity.
Dr. John Williams delivering a keynote address during the NHRC Scientific review.
Highlighting changing dietary patterns, he warned that increased consumption of sugary drinks and fast foods was exposing many people to long-term health complications.
“We often think the food our older generations used to eat is old-fashioned, so we prefer fancy foods. We consume alcohol and sugary drinks, and these habits expose us to conditions that later become serious health problems which cost a lot of money to manage,” he explained.
He therefore urged the public to adopt healthier lifestyles through improved nutrition, regular physical exercise, avoidance of tobacco use, and reduced harmful alcohol consumption.
NHRC intensifies research efforts on NCD prevention and management
In a similar address, the Director of the Navrongo Health Research Centre, Dr. Patrick Ansah, indicated that the institution has taken significant steps in recent years to strengthen research capacity and improve community-level diagnosis and treatment of non-communicable diseases.
“Over the past five years, we have built a strong team to focus on NCD research. We are working to ensure that universal health coverage for NCDs is realized by improving diagnosis and treatment at the lowest levels of the healthcare system,” he stated.
Dr. Ansah explained that the Centre has assembled a multidisciplinary team comprising social scientists, clinical scientists, and laboratory scientists to advance research and interventions aimed at reducing the burden of NCDs.
Dr. Patrick Ansah – Director, NHRC presenting an overview of the Navrongo Health Research Centre.
He further highlighted ongoing improvements in infrastructure and human resource capacity to enhance the Centre’s research mandate.
“In all ways, our infrastructure is improving, our human capacity is improving, and we remain committed to delivering on our mandate as a centre of excellence in science and research,” he added.
According to him, NHRC continues to support government efforts by providing advanced research facilities for testing the quality and safety of drugs and vaccines manufactured in the country.
Performance review strengthens collaboration and research coordination
The review meeting also served as a platform for assessing institutional performance and strengthening collaboration among research stakeholders. Discussions focused on reviewing activities undertaken from January, 2023 to December 2025, identifying operational challenges, and developing strategic plans to improve research delivery and policy impact.
Participants emphasized the importance of producing high-quality, policy-relevant health research that responds to Ghana’s evolving health needs, particularly in addressing the growing burden of chronic diseases.
Looking ahead
The NHRC Annual Review meeting reaffirmed NHRC’s commitment to generating evidence to guide health policy and strengthen service delivery.
The outcomes of the review are expected to inform future research priorities, enhance partnerships, and support the development of innovative community-based interventions aimed at improving population health in Ghana and beyond.