In a bid to combat the rising prevalence of diet-related Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) among children and young people, the Advocating for Health Coalition, organized a stakeholders’ meeting on October 31st, 2023. The meeting, held at an undisclosed location in Accra, aimed to garner support for the Excise Duty Amendment Act 2023 (ACT 1098) and…
In the ongoing battle against rising rates of obesity and diet-related diseases, the ubiquitous consumption of sugary drinks has soared ever so highly over the past few decades that the idea of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has gained momentum worldwide. Proponents argue that such taxation could be a sweet solution to a “bitter” health crisis.…
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), often known as chronic diseases, are non-transmissible illnesses of often long-term or long duration. They include heart diseases and stroke (cardiovascular diseases – CVDs), diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer and mental health conditions just to mention a few. They are driven primarily by a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental, and behavioural factors…
The value of good health is unquestionable when one has been sick for just a day. Every aspect of our lives depends on good health. The burden of dealing with a particular condition for the rest of your life can rob you of the joy of living in the moment and that is exactly what…
Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are non-dairy or non-alcoholic beverages that have caloric sweeteners added to it. More simply, they are drinks with the largest source of added sugar in the diet. They include carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks/sodas, flavored/fruit juice drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweetened tea and coffee drinks, and electrolyte replacement drinks. Added sugars…
Ghanaian adults continue to put on more kilos. In the 1980s, just about 2 percent of Ghanaians were obese. Today, Ghana’s obesity rates have surged to about 15 percent. Like obesity, many Ghanaian adults are becoming overweight. The number of Ghanaian adults with high blood pressure (also called hypertension) is also on the rise. Recent…
The Advocating for Health (A4H) Coalition, comprising academics, civil society organizations, public health and nutrition professionals, is commending President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, for assenting the Excise Duty Amendment Bill, 2022. This bill, among others, seeks to tax sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and rake in an estimated 400 million cedis annually. While the effects of…
It is questionable how we as a country intend to achieve the projected 30% decrease in NCD deaths by 2025 if we are unwilling to explore the evidence-based tax and other intervention that promises these developmental returns. For many years, the convenience of feigned helplessness of being between two opposing sides has been an escape…
Overweight/obesity are currently on the increase in most developing countries. They are also risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and an increased risk for some forms of cancer (Renehan et al., 2008;World Health Organization, 2015). In Ghana, nearly 43% of the adult population is either overweight or obese…
“In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes” – Benjamin Franklin once said. On ‘taxes’, it is a common refrain in daily conversations of Ghanaians – as they lament “over-taxation”. An associate of mine once noted: “when one makes money, one gets taxed, when one spends, one gets taxed, and when one saves,…