Document is current

Article History

Received: 2 March 2026

Accepted: 26 June 2026

First Online: 30 June 2026

Declarations

Ethical approval: for the study was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS-REC). The School of Public Health, UHAS, secured formal institutional permission to conduct data collection at the selected hospitals.

Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the University of Health and Allied Sciences Research Ethics Committee (UHAS-REC) . (Approval No: UHAS-REC B.10 [147]24–25). All participants provided written informed consent before taking part in the study. Confidentiality and anonymity were strictly maintained throughout the research process. All methods were performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki.

Consent for publication: Not applicable.

Authors’ information: MK is a population scientist with an interest in population health and health systems. Specifically, the burden and management of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in urban cities in Africa. Key aspects of his research have led to important community level interventions for hypertension and diabetes in some cities. The author is intrigued by the intricate relationship between the built environment and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among the urban poor. Over the years he has developed the necessary competence in doing this kind of research. M.A.A. is a Public Health Nutrition Officer and researcher with expertise in non-communicable diseases, Food systems and qualitative health research.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.