Nutrition
Media must be passionate about NCDs , mental health issues – Dr Mavis Sakyi
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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
Ingredients
-5-medium-sized tilapia descaled and entrails removed
– 1 lemon or lime to wash the fish
– 3 large onions
– Salt to taste
– 3 cloves of garlic
-3 tablespoonful of vegetable oil
-5 ginger cubes
– Scotch bonnets
Preparation
-Clean tilapia with water mixed with lemon or lime juice
-Score the fish twice on each side
-Blend all the ingredients for the marinade
-Spread the marinade all over the fish making sure it gets to every part of it
-Leave to marinate for at least two hours (ideally this can be done overnight in the fridge)
-Using a brush or a small piece of paper towel, brush the fish grill baskets with some oil. Brush the grill with some oil as well.
-Place the fish into the grill baskets and make sure they are secured
-Leave to room temperature and grill with moderate heat
-Turn regularly so that the fish cooks evenly. The fish is ready once it flakes off easily and is no longer opaque
-Serve with banku, rice, akple, attieke, fried yam, or kenkey and shito or fresh ground pepper
Fish is packed with many nutrients. This includes high quality protein, iodine, and various vitamins and minerals.
Fatty species are sometimes considered the healthiest. That’s because fatty fish, including salmon, trout, sardines, tuna, and mackerel, are higher in fat-based nutrients.
This includes vitamin D, a fat-soluble nutrient that many people are deficient in.
Fatty fish also boast omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for optimal body and brain function and strongly linked Trusted Source to a reduced risk of many diseases.
-Lower risk of heart attacks and strokes
Fish is considered one of the most heart-healthy foods you can eat.
Researchers believe that fatty types of fish are even more beneficial for heart health due to their high omega-3 fatty acid content. In a 2020 review study, researchers concluded that fish consumption is associated with a lower incidence of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and mortality.
– Growth and development nutrients
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for growth and development.
The omega-3 fat docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is especially important for brain and eye development. Another omega-3 fat, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), is important to take during pregnancy.
For this reason, it’s often recommended that pregnant and breastfeeding women eat enough omega-3 fatty acids.
However, some fish are high in mercury, which is linked to brain developmental problems.
– Boost brain health
The brain function often declines with aging. While mild mental decline is normal, neurodegenerative ailments such as Alzheimer’s disease also exist.
A research showed that people who ate more fish were linked to slower rates of mental decline.
Studies also reveal that people who eat fish twice per week are more likely to have more gray matter compared to people who eat fish less than once weekly.
– Help alleviate depression symptoms
Numerous studies reveal that omega-3 fatty acids may help defend against depression and significantly increase the effectiveness of antidepressant medications.
Fish and omega-3 fatty acids may also aid other mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder.
– A good dietary source of vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency remains prevalent worldwide, affecting up to 1 billion peopleTrusted Source in both developed and developing countries.
Fish and fish products are among the best dietary sources of vitamin D. Fatty fish like salmon and herring contain the highest amounts.
A single 4-ounce (113-gram) serving of cooked salmon contains 127 per cent of the recommended intake of vitamin D for adults younger than 70 years, and 95 per cent of the recommended intake for adults older than 70 years.
Some fish oils, such as cod liver oilTrusted Source, are also very high in vitamin D, which provides 170 per cent of the Daily Value (DV) in a single tablespoon (15 mL).
-Prevent asthma in children
A 2018 meta-analysis Trusted Source suggests that introducing fish early in life (ages six to nine months) and regularly consuming all fish (once weekly) may reduce asthma and wheezing in children up to 4.5 years old, while fatty fish intake may be beneficial in older children.
A 2019 study Trusted Source suggests that a higher consumption of fish and seaweed may lower the prevalence of asthma in children.
-Protect vision as an older adult
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness in older adults.
Some evidence suggests that fish and omega-3 fatty acids may protect against this disease.
-Fish may improve sleep quality
Sleep disorders have become incredibly common worldwide.
Increased exposure to blue light may play a role, but some researchers believe that vitamin D deficiency may also be involved.
A 2024 review and meta-analysis on the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on sleep suggests that omega-3s may improve sleep quality.
A 2017 study Trusted Source indicated that fish consumption may improve neurodevelopmental outcomes not only by directly affecting cognitive processes but also by improving sleep .healthline.com
