The Stroke Association Support Network-Ghana (SASNET-Ghana) has revealed that stroke is the third leading cause of deaths in the country, adding that the country records an annual 30 percent cases.

The Executive Director of the organization, Ebenezer Adams, explained that even more disturbing is the fact that stroke-related deaths are mostly recorded among persons who are 50 years and below.

This, he added, posses a great danger to the future of the nation's labour force, and with the potential of slowing down productivity if the cases are not controlled.

He made this known on the sidelines of a meeting to mark the Third National Stroke Survivors Day celebration that was held at Sunyani, reports the Ghana Guardian.

Further, he explained that recent data showed that Ghana recorded between 12,000 to 16,000 cases of stroke per year, with diabetes, hypertension, alcoholism and smoking being the major contributory causes.

He, therefore, advised the public to desist from stigmatizing and discriminating against People Living with Stroke (PLwS), but rather seek to support their medication.

The SASNET-Ghana event was on the theme, "Supporting persons living with stroke and their careers now and beyond COVID-19 era to rebuild their lives," and was supported by the Ministry of Health.