The Health of Adult Women in Accra

Abstract

The seven papers in this issue of the Journal highlight a number of well- known but largely unquantified health issues facing adults in Accra, and by extension, other rapidly growing cities in West Africa. Much is written about the ‘second epidemiological transition’1 and the ‘double burden’ of communicable and noncommunicable disease2 in post-transition populations. Here we present some new population-based health assessments as well as some surprises in terms of health differentials and patterns of reproduction.