Eat healthy food to reduce prevalence of non-communicable diseases

Many Ghanaians are dying as a result of consuming unhealthy diets, therefore nutritional experts have raised concerns about this development.

These deaths are linked to hypertension, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases which according to the experts are lifestyle-driven illnesses occurring as a result of the consumption of such unhealthy foods.

According to Dr. Charles Apprey, a nutritional biochemist and lecturer at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), “the Ghanaian plate is changing dangerously – from kontomire, abomu (local stew) and abɛkwan (palm soup) to fries, sodas, and pizza.”

These were revealed at a training workshop for media professionals in Kumasi last Thursday. It was organised by the Ghana Public Health Association in collaboration with the Coalition of Actors for Public Health Action (CAPHA).

At the workshop, experts issued a stark call for Ghana to urgently tax unhealthy foods and subsidise healthier options if it hopes to stem the tide of preventable deaths.

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His recommendation of front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) as a tried-and-true technique is commendable as he says that warning labels and traffic-light systems in South Africa, Mexico, Chile, and the United Kingdom (UK) have reduced purchases of high-sugar and high-salt products.

“More than 94,000 Ghanaians died from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), a figure, which experts warn, are not just a statistic but a silent epidemic eroding the nation’s future.

“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.

Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicated that in 2016, globally, NCDs account for 71 per cent of all deaths, and Ghana mirrors this trend with about 45 percent of national deaths linked to the above diseases.

He therefore proposes 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.

To create a healthy-enabling food environment where the healthier choice becomes the easier choice, Dr. Apprey called for bans on junk food advertisement during children’s TV programming, restrictions on celebrity endorsements, and limits on outdoor advertising near schools.

The Spectator is concerned about the high prevalence of NCDs, therefore we appeal to Ghanaians to embrace the consumption of healthier food and work towards the reduction of NCDs in the country.