The Ghana Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance (GhNCDA) has called on governments and international organisations to commit to implementing the Global Charter on meaningful involvement of people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

It urged the Ghana Government to take the NCD campaign to the communities to ensure everyone was involved to make a positive difference in their lives.

This was in a press release issued to the Ghana News Agency as Ghana joined the world to commemorate the Global Week for Action on NCDs.

It was on the theme: "We Are Uniting under the Theme of Community Engagement – Leveraging the Power and Potential of Communities to Co-create Healthier Societies. Join the Movement and make a difference in our Community and the World."

The Global Week for Action catalyses activities among the NCD movements to celebrate successes, mobilise for solutions, and demand action.

The GhNCDA said the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, globally, had reaffirmed the need for governments to protect citizens from NCD-related deaths.

"We have seen through COVID-19 the devastating effects of neglect of NCDs and failure to invest in our health systems – it is time to stop making the same mistake. We must learn and prioritise to put people and communities first," the statement said.

"The youth and people living with NCDs contributions cannot be relegated in development issues particularly on health and NCDs," it said.

"By prioritising community engagement through NCDs awareness campaign, especially in hard-to-reach communities, we will contribute to improving health and reducing NCDs-related diseases."