By Jesse Ampah Owusu
Accra, Sept. 28, GNA – Professor Anna Lartey of the Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, has called for taxes on unhealthy foods, including junk and ultra-processed ones, to reduce diet-related diseases.
She also called for restrictions on the advertising of products that did not promote healthy diets, particularly the inappropriate marketing of unhealthy foods to children and adolescents.
Professor Lartey made the call during a presentation on: “Nutrition at the Frontiers of a Changing Environment: Global Nutrition Situation and Policy Actions.” at the West Africa Genetic Medicine Centre, University of Ghana, Legon, on Saturday.
The presentation formed part of a scientific symposium and the launch of the Alumni Network Africa to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Nestlé Foundation.
The event, dubbed: “60 Years of Training, Capacity Building, and Research Partnerships,” brought together nutrition researchers, scientists and academic fellows from across Africa.
The Alumni Network Africa serves as an interconnected platform for African nutrition researchers, scientists and academic fellows who have engaged with or received support from the Nestlé Foundation.
Prof. Lartey also called for the introduction of front-of-pack food labels to help consumers make informed decisions about the foods they consumed.
She said poor nutrition had become a leading cause of disease and death globally, particularly in low-income countries such as Ghana.
Prof. Lartey said consumers needed to be educated and sensitised to make healthier choices, while healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables should be made more affordable.
Although Ghanaians were encouraged to consume more fruits and vegetables, she said many could not afford them because of their high cost.
She, therefore, urged the Government to use revenue generated from taxes on unhealthy foods to subsidise the production of fruits and vegetables and make them more affordable.
“It does not make sense if the fruits and vegetables that we want people to eat more of are expensive but the junk food and sugar-sweetened beverages that we want people to consume less of are getting cheaper and cheaper,” she said.
Meanwhile, Professor Paul Amuna of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, and Patron of the Alumni Network Africa, said the network would connect local experts and alumni across regional institutions to share resources, project outcomes and local innovations.
He said the network would also empower local scientists to develop evidence-based solutions to address Sub-Saharan Africa’s unique challenges, particularly in maternal, infant and child nutrition.
Mr Thomas Hauser, Director of the Nestlé Foundation, said the Foundation supported research and educational activities aimed at improving the understanding and prevention of malnutrition worldwide.
He encouraged members of the network to introduce young researchers to the work of the Nestlé Foundation and assist them to develop quality and innovative research proposals.
He said the initiative aligned with the Nestlé Foundation’s broader framework of funding public-health-relevant research and promoting industry-academia collaboration to improve access to quality nutrition.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe