The Ghana Public Health Association (GPHA), in collaboration with the Coalition of Actors for Public Health Action (CAPHA), has called on the government to implement laws regulating the advertisement of unhealthy food products, citing their significant contribution to the rising prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the country.
The appeal was made during a one-day training session for media professionals on NCDs, held at the Miklin Hotel in Kumasi, where experts emphasized the urgent need for legislative and public health interventions to curb the growing burden of these diseases.
Dr. Charles Apprey, a Nutritional Biochemist and Lecturer at KNUST, explained that the increasing consumption of foods high in sugar, salt, fat, and other harmful ingredients is a leading cause of NCDs. He stressed that children are particularly vulnerable, as they are easily influenced by marketing strategies promoting sugary and salty foods.
“The rate at which NCDs are contributing to deaths in Ghana is alarming,” Dr. Apprey stated. “The most effective way to reduce these risk factors is for the government to enforce laws regulating the production and advertisement of unhealthy foods. Packaged foods should also carry clear labels indicating their sugar, salt, and fat content to protect consumers.”
Supporting this call, Mr. James McKeown Amoah, Project Lead for NCDs at GPHA, revealed that 65 percent of deaths in Ghana each year are linked to NCDs, while globally, 41 million people die annually from such conditions. He urged the government to consider imposing taxes on sugary, salty, and fatty foods, which would discourage excessive consumption and promote healthier dietary habits.
Mr. Amoah further appealed to media professionals to utilize their platforms to educate the public on foods that contribute to the increase of NCDs, emphasizing that awareness and informed choices are key to reducing the prevalence of these preventable diseases.
The training highlighted the urgent need for a multi-faceted approach combining legislation, taxation, consumer education, and responsible advertising to effectively combat the growing health threat posed by NCDs in Ghana.
