I recently got a couple of patients walk to the consulting room without any major complaints except for a checkup. Though doing a full body workup is expensive and not very beneficial, it reminded me of an essential component of healthcare which is missing in the health system of most African countries, preventive care. Our health system is more curative and rehabilitative oriented. And because of this, health facilities both public and private do not have well defined recommendations or guidelines on preventive care. And so even individuals who are concern about their health and want to take measures to improve it, do not know where to go or what to do.

So I have compiled a preventive care package, which I think is cost effective and has been shown to be effective using the US Preventive Service Taskforce (USPSTF) recommendations as a guide.

Hypertension screening , checking your blood pressure every year, especially for individuals > 40yrs, and if there is a strong family history of hypertension ( either your mother, father or sibling is hypertensive) checking it more frequently is advised.

HIV screening, this is voluntary, but once the testing is done you are counseled on the results and referred for treatment if you are positive.

Hepatitis B and C screening, these two are the leading cause of liver cancer in Ghana, once the diagnosis of liver cancer is made, your options are very limited, and especially in Ghana. Ghana is ranked 10th globally in terms of liver cancer related deaths.

You can easily get vaccinated against Hepatitis B if you’re negative after the screening, unfortunately there’s no approved vaccine for Hepatitis C at the moment. If you’re tested positive, further investigations will be done and you are started on an appropriate antiviral.

Syphilis screening for adolescents and adult who are sexually active, this is an easily treatable STI, and no, syphilis doesn’t turn into gonorrhea and HIV after 5yrs LOL, however having one STI increases your risk of HIV acquisition

Know your sickling status: your sickling status should guide you in your choice of life partners. Some churches now require prospective couples to check their sickling status before they are allowed to marry. Though this might seem a little Eugenic, it plays an important role in premarital counseling and prepares the couple for all the possible outcomes.

Breast cancer screening , for women between the ages 40 -74yrs, a biennial mammogram is advised. Self-breast examination (SBE) should be regularly done by every female, actually about 40% of breast cancers diagnosed are detected through regular SBE. check this link on how to do SBE : Breast Self-Exam – National Breast Cancer Foundation Check out this video: https://youtu.be/YrQW6GaK1c8

Pre-diabetes and diabetes type 2 screening, this is especially useful for individuals who are overweight or obese, (BMI>25).

Cervical cancer screening for females between 21-65yrs, if you fall within this category and you haven’t done a Pap smear in the last 3years, consider doing one this year. You can easily make enquiries at any reproductive health center/ clinic

Wishing you all a healthier life this year.