The proliferation of unregulated aphrodisiacs in Ghana’s markets and online platforms has sparked increasing alarm over public health, particularly among the youth.
Despite efforts by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to regulate these products, they remain widely available, contributing to sudden deaths, organ failure, and psychological dependence.
Aphrodisiacs, substances believed to enhance sexual performance, have become increasingly popular in Ghana.
However, the widespread use of unregulated products presents a hidden public health crisis, as many of these substances contain toxic ingredients that can severely harm the heart, kidneys, liver, and overall well-being.
Many are falsely marketed as safe despite mounting evidence to the contrary. The 1992 Constitution of Ghana provides a framework for safeguarding public health.
Articles 34(1), 36(8), and 108 empower the government to enact policies and laws protecting citizens from health hazards. Complementary legislation, including the Public Health Act (2012) and FDA Act (PNDC Law 305B), further supports regulatory enforcement.
Yet enforcement gaps and low public awareness persist, underscoring the urgent need for action.
The dangers of these unregulated aphrodisiacs are well-documented.
They can induce cardiac arrest and hypertension, sometimes resulting in sudden death. Their toxic ingredients may also cause kidney and liver damage, which, if unchecked, can result in long-term organ failure. Repeated use can lead to psychological dependence, with withdrawal symptoms and compulsive consumption becoming serious concerns.
Research by Yakubu Adam (2021) indicates that 30% of men aged 18–50 in Ghana have used aphrodisiacs, while 15% of them experienced severe adverse effects. This evidence highlights the critical need for public education and proactive regulatory measures to reduce exposure and prevent avoidable deaths.
The FDA has taken several steps, including seizing GH₵700,000 worth of herbal medicines and aphrodisiacs in Kumasi.
Market surveillance and public education campaigns have urged consumers to check product authenticity and expiry dates. Despite these efforts, challenges remain. Ghana’s porous borders allow smugglers and accomplices to introduce unregistered products.
Inadequate regulation and insufficient manpower limit the FDA’s capacity to monitor all regions effectively, while many consumers remain unaware of the health risks.
The human cost of unregulated aphrodisiacs is real and alarming. In Koforidua (2020), a 66-year-old man was found dead in a guest house after consuming an aphrodisiac.
In Kasoa (2024), a 30-year-old taxi driver died during sexual activity after taking a product marketed as safe.
Reports from Berekum increasingly describe young men suffering strokes linked to aphrodisiac use.
These examples underscore the preventable nature of these tragedies and the need for decisive action from authorities and communities alike.
Investigations into sellers, particularly foreign nationals from Nigeria and Niger, reveal a dangerous casualness toward public health.
When asked how they obtain consent to sell these products, one peddler stated: “It’s not far-fetched. People come for it; we just supply.” Another confidently claimed: “It’s safe. Very wonderful,” when questioned about potential adverse effects.
Such statements illustrate a disturbing disregard for human life and highlight the need for immediate preventive measures. Authorities must act decisively through stricter enforcement, border vigilance, public education campaigns, and community engagement to prevent further tragedies.
Ghana’s legal framework reinforces the fight against unregulated aphrodisiacs.
Directive Principles promote citizens’ welfare and access to healthcare, while legislative authority empowers Parliament to regulate harmful substances.
The Public Health Act, FDA Act, and the Criminal Code provide statutory frameworks to regulate, penalize, and prevent the distribution of harmful products.
Yet, enforcement and monitoring must be intensified to meet the challenge.
Behavioral strategies are equally crucial. Public awareness campaigns should highlight real-life consequences and employ memorable messaging to influence behavior.
Community-based interventions, including faith-based organizations and traditional authorities, can engage local populations effectively. Cognitive behavioral approaches can educate users about the risks while promoting safer alternatives.
In schools, interactive programs such as debates, role-play, and workshops can strengthen young people’s decision-making. Media campaigns and digital alerts can extend the reach of these interventions across all demographics. Psychological deterrents using real-life case studies create emotional impact, while incentive-based programs reward responsible behaviors.
Collaboration with health practitioners, including pharmacists, nurses, and traditional healers, is essential to counsel users and reduce dependency.
Authorities must also implement strategic monitoring of high-risk areas.
Reports indicate that accomplices from neighboring countries such as Nigeria, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, and Niger often facilitate the sale of unregulated aphrodisiacs.
This underscores the need for coordinated efforts, with security officers from these countries joining Ghanaian authorities to dismantle criminal networks.
Major hotspots include neighborhoods in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central, Western, Eastern, Volta, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, and Bono/Bono East/Ahafo regions.
Regular inspections of hotels, guest houses, and nightlife spots, coupled with community engagement and media alerts, are critical to curbing the spread of these substances.
Individuals facilitating the sale or importation of unregulated aphrodisiacs must face strict penalties, including imprisonment, fines, confiscation of profits, and public exposure.
Without decisive action, the cycle of preventable harm will continue.
Ghana’s unregulated aphrodisiac epidemic is a nationwide public health crisis.
While constitutional and legal frameworks provide authority for intervention, enforcement gaps, cross-border accomplices, and low public awareness perpetuate the problem. Urgent, coordinated actions combining legal enforcement, behavioral interventions, nationwide hotspot monitoring, and public education are essential to prevent further loss of life. The situation demands vigilance, collaboration, and swift action—because every preventable death is a failure society cannot afford.
As Proverbs 3:7-8 reminds us: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” Likewise, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 emphasizes: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit… therefore honor God with your bodies.” In practical wisdom, “He who ignores danger invites disaster,” and “Knowledge without action is like a lamp without light.” These principles underscore the moral, spiritual, and societal imperative to act decisively against this deadly public health threat.
Ghana cannot afford inaction, for every life lost unnecessarily is a lesson unlearned, and every preventable tragedy a call to urgent responsibility.
By Curtice Dumevor, Public Health Expert & Social Analyst
