Bukola Afeni
Experts in the health sector has called for urgent action on sodium reduction to combat the growing burden of non-Communicable Diseases in Nigeria.
A Global Health Specialist, Dr. Joseph Ekiyor, made the disclosure at the media roundtable on Sodium Reduction and Front-of-Pack Labelling (FOPL) in Abuja.
According to Dr. Ekiyor, excessive sodium consumption is a major driver of ill health globally, contributing to hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and other health challenges.
“Sodium is one of the major drivers of ill health. When taken excessively, it can make blood pressure go up, causing hypertension, which is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.”
He noted that cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease are now the leading cause of disease and death worldwide, with low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria bearing a disproportionate burden.
To address this challenge, Dr. Ekiyor emphasized the need for a multi-stakeholder approach, involving government, healthcare professionals, non-governmental organizations, civil society, and the media.
“It is about making interventions, and there are no interventions without policy. Everybody needs to work together.”
He stressed the importance of political will in driving positive change, noting that it takes years of effort to see results.
Dr. Ekiyor also highlighted the crucial role of awareness and health education in informing behavioral change, particularly in reducing salt consumption in Nigerian households.
“To inform behavioral change, people need to hear the message and hear it over again. We believe that Nigeria can reduce the burden of NCDs and promote healthier living for citizens,” he said.
Speaking at the event, the Country Coordinator of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, Joy Amafiah, said the country’s dietary lifestyle has undergone a significant transition, with traditional diets giving way to processed and ultra-processed foods that are often devoid of nutritional benefits.
“We have observed that dietary lifestyle has actually transitioned significantly from traditional diets, which generally are culturally acceptable, are known to be healthier, and also available, to processed and ultra-processed foods that, in most cases, have little to no nutritional health benefits,” she said.
This shift, she noted, has been fueled by aggressive marketing and advertisement of unhealthy food products, creating a perception that the foods are the norm. “We have also seen aggressive marketing and advertisement of unhealthy food products to our children, making it, creating a perception that this is actually the norm, whereas it is not.”
“The consequences are alarming, with young children now suffering from obesity and other diet-related health issues,” she added.
Amafiah emphasized the need for greater intervention in healthy food policies to drive healthier nutrition and accessibility of healthier options in the country.
“There is need for increased education and awareness amongst the public, and also raising this issue up to the eye of the policy makers, decision makers, amidst other competing priorities,” she stressed.
The Country Director of NHED, who represented by the Program Officer Toyin Adeomi, disclosed that Nigeria has taken decisive actions in formulating national sodium reduction guidelines.
She further noted that the country is presently undergoing an initiative by NAFDAC to establish enforceable sodium regulation in the country.
She called on the media to play a crucial role in raising awareness and pushing for policy change, emphasizing the importance of public awareness and accountability in driving positive change.
