By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, Aug. 14, GNA – Selected journalists have undergone training to strengthen their knowledge and skills on reporting and advocating for policies and regulatory measures that promote healthier food environments and prevent Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
The day’s training was also to equip media professionals with accurate and evidence-based knowledge to strengthen public education, policy advocacy and accountability on NCDs’ prevention and healthy food environments.
It was organised in Tamale by Songtaba, a civil society organisation, under the Creating Healthier Futures Project, in partnership with the Coalition of Actors for Public Health Advocacy.
It was on the theme: “Creating Healthier Futures: Mobilising Media to Tackle Unhealthy Food Environments and NCD Prevention in Ghana.”
Participants, drawn from the Northern Region, were taken through key issues including diet-related NCDs, healthy nutrition, Front-of-Pack Warning Labelling (FOPWL), food marketing restrictions, food-related fiscal policies and relevant national food and nutrition policies and regulations.
Hajia Lamnatu Adam, the Executive Director of Songtaba, underscored the critical role of the media in shaping public discourse, influencing consumer choices and promoting healthier lifestyles.
She encouraged journalists to sustain public education on healthy diets and empower consumers to pay greater attention to the sugar, salt, and fat content of packaged foods.
She said greater public understanding of the nutritional content of foods and beverages was necessary given the growing burden of diet-related conditions including diabetes, hypertension, obesity and high cholesterol.
She said the Creating Healthier Futures project was advocating for clear and easily understandable FOPWL, to enable consumers to make informed dietary choices and reduce their risk of diet-related NCDs.
Mr Huzaifa Issahaku, the Programmes Officer, Songtaba, who facilitated a session on Ghana’s Food Environment Policy Bundle, highlighted the growing influence of food marketing through social media, influencers and celebrities and called for stronger oversight of the promotion of unhealthy food products.
He urged journalists to use their platforms to highlight policy gaps, inform the public, and sustain advocacy for effective implementation of food environment policies.
Dr Joyce Kalu Amoah, the Northern Regional Coordinator for NCDs at the Ghana Health Service said NCDs had become a major public health concern in the country accounting for about 43 per cent of deaths in the country while hypertension affected approximately 30% of the population.
She identified unhealthy diets, tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity as major risk factors contributing to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases.
Dr Amoah said the country was experiencing a nutrition transition characterized by increased consumption of foods high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats alongside inadequate consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes and other nutrient-rich foods.
She highlighted national efforts to address the growing burden of NCDs, including the National Nutrition Policy, National NCD Policy and Strategic Plan, Ghana Food-Based Dietary Guidelines and interventions promoting healthier food choices.
She called for stronger enforcement of food labelling and advertising regulations, increased public education, and improved collaboration amongst relevant institutions and stakeholders to address diet-related NCDs.
Mrs Ayisha Mohammed Addy, the Communications and Media Officer at Songtaba urged journalists to uphold high ethical standards when reporting on health and nutrition issues.
She encouraged media professionals to verify scientific information with credible experts, rely on evidence-based sources, and simplify technical health information for the public without distorting the facts.
Participants, through practical exercises, developed advocacy messages and explored how to translate technical information on food policies and nutrition into clear, accurate, and engaging media stories.
They also expressed their commitment to using their media platforms to increase public awareness on NCDs’ prevention, promote healthier food choices, amplify discussions on food environment policies and contribute to accountability for the effective implementation of relevant policies and regulations.
GNA
Edited by Eric K Amoh/ Christabel Addo
Reporter: Albert Futukpor
Writer’s Email: [email protected]