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Tag: non-communicable diseases

  • FG pushes clear food labelling, salt reduction against rising NCDs

    FG pushes clear food labelling, salt reduction against rising NCDs

    By Haggai Daniel, Abuja 

    Nigeria has intensified efforts to reduce salt consumption and promote healthier eating habits as part of a broader push to combat the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, stroke and heart disease.

    Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement on sodium reduction and front-of-pack labelling in Abuja, the Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma Anas, emphasised that cutting sodium intake and promoting clear food labelling are vital to improving national health and productivity. 

    The meeting, held to mark World Food Day 2025, drew participants from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Federal Ministry of Health, Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), and Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) and the private sector.

    The presidential aide described this year’s theme ‘Hand in hand for better good and a better future’, as timely, noting that excessive salt consumption is silently fueling preventable illnesses among Nigerians. 

    “We used to associate hypertension and cardiac problems with the elderly, but now we are seeing these conditions in people under 50 and even in their 20s, 

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    “Almost every home in Nigeria has a story to tell about someone living with or lost to heart disease or stroke,” she said.

    Anas said Nigeria’s sodium reduction and front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) campaign will help consumers make informed choices. 

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    “Too often, manufacturers hide nutritional information in tiny fonts. We want clear, visible labels on food packages so Nigerians can easily see what they are consuming,” she said.

    Explaining that sodium regulation and FOPL are complementary, she said regulations set limits for salt content in pre-packaged foods, while labelling helps consumers identify high-sodium, sugar, or fat products. 

    “It’s a win-win for consumers and manufacturers. Transparent labelling builds trust and encourages food producers to reformulate products to meet healthier standards,” she added.

    Commending NAFDAC and the Federal Ministry of Health for developing frameworks to promote healthier food environments, she said these efforts align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Health Agenda, which prioritizes preventive care and nutrition. 

    “Sodium reduction is not only a health strategy, it is an economic investment. Healthier citizens mean greater productivity and lower healthcare costs,” she noted.

    The adviser urged food manufacturers to embrace reformulation and responsible marketing, describing the new regulations as opportunities for innovation, stressing, “We want industry to be our ally in ensuring that Nigerians eat food that sustains life, not disease”.

    She also emphasized the need to change dietary culture, noting, “We have conditioned our brains to think that salt equals taste. But if you try local foods like yams or potatoes without salt, you’ll discover they have their own natural flavour. We must retrain our taste buds and our culture around food”.

    She called on media, civil society, and community leaders to drive awareness, urging, “Media professionals are key partners. Your voices shape public opinion and can inspire change 

    “Traditional and religious leaders must also help people understand that excessive salt intake causes hypertension, stroke, and kidney problems”.

    She reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to achieving a 30 percent reduction in sodium consumption by 2030, in line with WHO’s global action plan. 

  • Non-communicable diseases account for 41m deaths globally

    Not  less than 71 per cent of global deaths are caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), a report has said.

    According to the report, NCDs account for economic losses of about $7 trillion. Statistics indicate that 41 million out of 57million deaths were caused by NCDs with 15 million of these termed ‘premature deaths.’

    Low-and-middle-income countries, including Nigeria, contribute 78 per cent of global deaths and 85 per cent of premature deaths.

    In Nigeria, NCDs cause 29 per cent of deaths. Alcohol, tobacco, unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle have been identified as  causes of NCDs.

    The Federal Government, however, said it is committed to combating the major NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease.

    It also said it would prioritise other conditions, such as injuries (from road crashes and violence) sickle cell diseases, mental neurological and substance abuse disorders.

    Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole, who spoke during a meeting on NCDs Multi-Sectoral Action Plan (NCD MSAP) in Abuja, noted that the goal of the government is to reduce the burden of NCDs in line with the sustainable development goals by promoting healthy lifestyle and providing a framework for strengthening the healthcare system using multi-sectoral approach for prevention and control of NCDs.

    “The diversity of these risk factors and populations affected prompts the need to collaborate across health and non- health sector who directly or indirectly play critical role in the control of NCDs,” he said.

    World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, Dr. Rex Mpazanje, noted that NCDs have been included in the 2030 agenda. He stressed that following the 2011 UN high-level meeting, it was recognised that the rising prevalence, morbidity and mortality of NCDs worldwide can be largely prevented and controlled through collective and multi-sectoral action by all member states and other relevant stakeholders at local, national, regional and global levels.

    Nnenna Ezeigwe, national coordinator of NCDs, said high level meeting “was meant for other federal ministry to buy into the multi-sectorial action plan on NCDS”.

     

  • Ondo: Tackling cancer, other non-communicable diseases

    SIR: When it comes to global health and sub-Saharan Africa, the first thing we think of is HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. The increase in the prevalence and incidence of cancer, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases is due in part to the successes that we have achieved in the fight against infectious diseases. If people with infectious diseases like HIV are able to live normal lives, with life spans comparable to the rest of the population, then they would live long enough to be at a higher risk of acquiring non-communicable diseases such as cancer. It is therefore not surprising that in 2010 the World Health Organisation estimated that the deaths due to cancer have now surpassed the deaths attributable to HIV, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

    Available data from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation also shows that other non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes are also in an upward trend. With this worrisome data, it has become evident that many sub-Saharan African countries including Nigeria are now faced with a non-communicable disease epidemic with a handicapped healthcare system to tackle it.

    My trip to Ondo State in South-western Nigeria on the invitation of the governor and first lady, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu and Mrs Betty Anyawu-Akeredolu, was a first step in show of political will by a government to assess the degree of the existing gaps and implement practical solutions to address them.

    As an Affiliate Investigator at the Global Oncology programme at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Fred Hutch) in Seattle, Washington, I have been privileged to witness and participate in collaborative partnerships that have helped improve the health system of a number of sub-Saharan African countries, particularly Uganda. On the other hand, the first lady, Mrs Akeredolu, has had a first-hand experience as a patient survivor of breast cancer about 20 years ago. This inspired her to start the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN) to create awareness of breast cancer.

    Over the past two decades she has travelled around Nigeria and the world creating awareness, advocating policies and funding to help address this growing epidemic. She has also organised several cancer awareness events on World Cancer Day. It was in one of such meetings that we met. She had invited me and a senior colleague, Dr. Julie Gralow – a world-renowned breast cancer expert from Seattle – to speak at one of her world cancer day events in Lagos. Political will and sincerity of purpose does not come any better this.

    While visiting Ondo and other states in the South-western part of Nigeria, I noted a number of gaps in the healthcare system with regard to tackling cancer and other non-communicable diseases. These gaps are not just limited to the south-western part of Nigeria, but follow a similar pattern of published reports in other sub-Saharan African countries. The first is the lack of a robust data gathering system, and a population-based cancer registry. Without knowing the numbers, it becomes a herculean task to engage in research, measure the degree of the problem, measure progress or make the appropriate investments.

    Secondly, there is insufficient diagnostic and therapeutic equipment. One that particularly stood out is that Nigeria only has eight radiotherapy machines (a combination of cobalt and linear accelerators); and only one or two function at any point in time. The World Health Organisation recommends that every country should have one radiotherapy machine for every one million people. This means Nigeria must at the minimum have 180 radiotherapy machines, going by our population estimates.

    Other gaps noted include insufficient human capacity and inability to afford the available services. When thinking about solving global health problems, we must plan around the cultural, political and resource context of the region to ensure that solutions proffered are realistic and sustainable. It is not enough to have political will, but we must also ensure community buy-in and the collaboration of different stakeholders both locally and internationally. Finally, we must make sure that we do not ignore existing systems when building new ones. A diagonal, as opposed to a vertical approach is often times the preferred way to go. This way, in tackling a disease of interest, we build a health system that is equipped to tackle broad range of diseases.

     

    • Dr. Kingsley Ndoh, 

    Washington, USA

  • Experts lament rising non-communicable diseases

    Experts have raised the alarm on the rising cases of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Nigeria.

    A don at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos and Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof Femi Olufemi Fasanmade, said this was so because of the prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles.

    He said NCDs are non-contagious, which are rising daily. They include hypertension, asthma, diabetes mellitus, peptic ulcer and arthritis, he added.

    Fasanmade, a consultant endocrinologist at LUTH, said NCDs are mainly lifestyle-related.

    Others, he said, are foreign food, over-eating, sedentary lifestyle, increased consumption of soft drinks and alcohol, adding that they are also associated with advancing age and stress.

    He advised the Federal Government to promote healthy eating, regular exercises and screening and education.

    Others are regulation of sugary and alcoholic beverages, provision of playing grounds and parks, increased access to healthy food, reduction of pollution and environmental toxins.

    Fasanmade urged the people to eat moderately, exercise and stop smoking and taking of alcohol. Obesity should be discouraged and people should have regular check ups.

    A chest physician at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr Cyril Chukwu, said NCDs account for more deaths than communicable diseases (CDs).

    He said though there were no statistics, records showed more people visit hospitals for NCDs than CDs these days.  He said NCD is the largest cause of mortality in people of working age.

    The incidences in younger adults, he noted, are higher in poor countries, especially in Africa, than in the rich countries.

    He listed cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes as some NCDs.

    Chukwu said the rising cases were due to some behavioural risk factors, such as poor diet, inactivity,  smoking and excessive alcohol intake.

    He said NCDs are more prevalent in urban areas, adding that the increasing globalisation of food, tobacco and alcohol industries are also responsible for thedisease.

    “NCDs have a major impact on men and women of working age and their elderly dependents. They result in lost income, lost opportunities for investment, and overall lower levels of economic development,” he said.

    He urged the Federal Government to raise awareness on prevention rather than cure.

  • Women advised against non-communicable diseases

    Women have been enjoined to be active and eat balanced diet to ward off non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as stroke, diabetes and heart attack.  Balanced diet contains adequate amounts of all the necessary nutrients required for healthy growth and activity.

    This was the summation of experts at the sixth edition of Indulge lunch and learn programme in Lagos.

    The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Modele Osunkiyesi, said wellness will ensure women keep the diseases at bay.

    Osunkiyesi, represented by the Director, Disease Control, Dr Jemilade Longe, said physical fitness and adequate diet will promote their health.

    Women, she said, should embrace wellness, nutrition and healthy lifestyle as a pre-requisite for longevity.

    She said Lagos State has a policy on NCDs to promote healthy lifestyle and appropriate behavioural change.

    “The state is involved in NCDs programme and it has been collaborating with stakeholders to reduce the incidents of the disease in the state,” she said.

    The Perm Sec said men above 40 also need to have prostate enlargement test regularly.

    She said the state has been assisting residents with screening for high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney during its wellness week.

    She said keeping fit and health is an issue of behavioural change, as such people need to take ownership of their health.

    Medical Director, Igando General Hospital, Dr Bolaji Adebiyi said women are at risk of heart attack like men because the ailment is with Nigeria.

    He said prevention of the ailment is better than cure because it is a condition that is quite expensive to treat. “The best way possible to avoid it is to prevent it,” he noted.

    He said heart patients often feel pain on the left side of their hearts, adding that people should see their doctor anytime they have such symptoms.

    “When you feel unnecessary pressure in your chest or pain at the centre or towards the left side of the chest it is likely to be a heart attack. Low back pain, back pain and uncomfortable sweating, especially when everywhere is cold,  is a sign of the ailment,” he said.

    Adebiyi identified being black, age, sex and heredity as factors that nobody has control over.

    Risks that can be controlled or managed, he said, are hypertension, high blood cholesterol and diabetes.

    Others are physical inactivity, alcohol, diet, nutrition and smoking.

    He said people should quit smoking, even secondary smoking, adding that they should exercise regularly as well as modify their diets.

    “If you are pregnant and you smoke, the baby in the womb is also smoking along with you. People should engage in physical exercise or walk briskly for about 30 minutes regularly as well as play a game to calm the nerves and laugh often. Heart attack is preventable,” he said.