94,000 lives lost to NCDs in 2016 …experts demand taxes on unhealthy foods

IN 2016, more than 94,000 Ghanaians died from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), according to the World Health Organisation. That figure, experts warned, was not just a statistic but a silent epidemic eroding the nation’s future.

At a training workshop for media professionals in Kumasi last Thursday, Dr Charles Apprey, a nutritional biochemist and lecturer at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), issued a stark call: Ghana must urgently tax unhealthy foods and subsidise healthier options if it hopes to stem the tide of preventable deaths.

“What stops us as a country from taxing these unhealthy foods, build silos in our markets, and reduce their consumption?” Dr Apprey challenged, arguing that fiscal measures could save thousands of lives.

Globally, NCDs account for 71 per cent of all deaths, and Ghana mirrors this trend with about 45 per cent of national deaths linked to hypertension, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases. Hypertension alone affects over 34 per cent of men and 51 per cent of women, with prevalence among older persons exceeding 50 per cent.

Dr Apprey warned that the Ghanaian plate was changing dangerously—from kontomire, abomu (local stew) and abεkwan (palm soup) to fries, sodas, and pizza. “These are lifestyle-driven illnesses,” he said, “and they demand bold policy intervention.”

The KNUST lecturer outlined a five-point agenda to reduce exposure risks such as poor diet; strengthen early detection and management; build resilient health systems; foster multisectoral collaboration; and secure sustainable funding.

He highlighted front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) as a proven tool, citing South Africa, Mexico, Chile, and the UK, where warning labels and traffic-light systems have reduced purchases of high-sugar and high-salt products.

Dr Apprey also called for bans on junk food advertisement during children’s TV programming, restrictions on celebrity endorsements, and limits on outdoor advertising near schools. “The aim is to create healthy-enabling food environments where the healthier choice becomes the easier choice,” he stressed.

The workshop, organised by the Ghana Public Health Association in collaboration with the Coalition of Actors for Public Health Action (CAPHA), positioned journalists as frontline allies in the fight against NCDs. With their reach and influence, media professionals were urged to amplify the urgency of food policy reforms and help shift public attitudes toward healthier diets.

Mr James Mckeown Amoah, Project Coordinator for Ghana Public Health Association (GPHA), called for all hands to be on deck towards the reduction of NCDs in Ghana. He, therefore, urged the media to devote airtime and spaces to create more awareness for Ghanaians to embrace the consumption of healthier food devoid of unhealthy foods.

From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi