Nutrition

Media must be passionate about NCDs , mental health issues – Dr Mavis Sakyi

Published

2 years ago

May 4, 2024

/home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27

Warning: Trying to access array offset on false in /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
&description=Media must be passionate about NCDs , mental health issues – Dr Mavis Sakyi', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">

/home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72

Warning: Trying to access array offset on false in /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
&description=Media must be passionate about NCDs , mental health issues – Dr Mavis Sakyi', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">

Dr Mavis Sakyi, the Acting Head of Public Health and Health Promotion of the Ministry of Health, has urged the media to be passionate on issues of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and mental health to create platforms for financial support for awareness creation.

She said NCD rates such as cancers, respiratory disease, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, eye diseases, among others, and mental health were becoming alarming and could lead to the next pandemic in the country.

She stated that about 54 per cent of deaths were caused by NCDs and there was the need for agenda setting on the issue by the media in the print, online, social media, television, and radio for financial dialogue to support awareness creation.

Dr Sakyi advised at a day’s capacity-building seminar for media professionals and members of civil society organisations on NCD and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) on the theme: “Accelerating UHC through the 2 Global Financial Dialogue on NCDs and Mental Health”.

Mr Labram Musah, the National Coordinator of the Ghana NCD Alliance in a presentation called on the government to earmark a percentage of the excise tax revenue for NCDs and mental healthcare.

He said more than 60 per cent of people living with NCDs face a financial burden, which results from out-of-pocket payment costs of medicine, outpatient visits, and hospitalisation, among others.

“This had led persons, families and communities into poverty,” he stated.

Mr Musah entreated the government to remove subsidies on harmful products such as tobacco, alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages, trans-fats, and the rest to prevent diseases.

He said; “It is estimated that 3.1 million Ghanaians are living with mental health issues, and globally, it is estimated that 15 million lives a year will be ended prematurely because of NCD and mental health.

“Treatment costs also increase exponentially in the case of multi-morbidities, which is becoming more of a norm rather than an exception,” he stated, saying; “NCD is cross-cutting and has dire consequences on many communicable diseases.

He said the catastrophic spending on the diseases had contributed to many households adopting negative coping mechanisms that included reduced spending on other health costs, food, education, and the rest. – GNA

Nutrition

Can Ghana feed its people well? Building a nutrition-sensitive food system

Published

6 days ago

August 29, 2026

WeeklySpectator

When we talk about nutrition in Ghana, the conversation often focuses on individual choices: eat more vegetables, reduce sugar and salt, drink more water and exercise regularly.

These messages are important, but they tell only part of the story. Good nutrition is not just a personal responsibility; it is also a food-system issue.

What Ghanaians eat is influenced by what farmers produce, what food costs, how it is processed and marketed, what is served in schools, and what information consumers receive.

Ghana has the agricultural capacity to produce a wide variety of nutritious foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, eggs, roots and tubers. Yet production alone is not enough. Poor storage, transportation challenges and weak market access mean that an estimated 30 per cent of food in Ghana can spoil before reaching consumers or retailers, according to a 2025 study by the International Growth Centre. The losses are particularly significant for fruits and vegetables, reducing both farmers’ incomes and the availability of nutritious foods. This is where policy becomes important.

Agricultural policies should consider not only how much food Ghana produces, but also whether that food contributes to healthy diets. Greater support for diverse crops, local vegetables, fruits and legumes could strengthen both agriculture and nutrition.

The food-processing industry has a role as well. Processing can reduce food waste, improve convenience and create new markets for local produce. But greater attention should be paid to the nutritional quality of processed foods, particularly those high in salt, added sugar and unhealthy fats.

Public education must also become more practical. Telling people to “eat healthy” is not enough when nutritious foods may be unaffordable or unavailable. Consumers need information, but they also need a food environment that makes healthier choices realistic.

Good nutrition begins on the farm, continues through the market and food industry, reaches the school and household, and ultimately ends on the plate.

What is needed is greater coordination.

A successful nutrition strategy should connect agricultural production with health objectives, school feeding with local agriculture, food processing with nutritional quality, and public education with the realities of household income and food prices.

The ultimate goal is not simply to produce more food.

It is to ensure that Ghanaians have reliable access to safe, affordable and nutritious food throughout their lives.

Feature Article by Women, Media and Change

SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS