Sugar Diseases’ prevalence: How FG Intends To Fight Beverage Firms

Sugar diseases’ prevalence appears to have taken a really worrisome dimension in the country, and the federal government appears no longer ready to keep quiet.

Instead, it has devised a method to fight the cankerworm to a logical conclusion.

This is coming amidst insinuations and unconfirmed assertions that beverage firms could lace a bottle of soft drink with as much as ten cubes of sugar, and the reported increase in sugar based diseases in the country.

A local daily equally quoted the Head of the Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism division of the Department of Medicine in the College of Medicine University of Lagos (CMUL), Idi-Araba, Lagos, Professor Femi Fasanmade, as saying that Nigeria now had about 10 -11 million people with diabetes in Nigeria and that the disease had become the commonest cause/factor in lower extremity amputation and kidney failure.

READ ALSO: How Personal Ego, Supremacy Are Jeopardising Lives In Healthcare Sector

Several studies and write-ups, have in the recent, equally expressed concern over sugar diseases’ prevalence, with more teenagers developing diabetes and in greater risk of limb amputation, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, blindness and cancer.

Some concerned stakeholders adding their weight to the argument now advocate for 20 per cent tax increase on sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs), as a way of combating sugar diseases’ prevalence.

This is even as the stakeholders lauded the decision of the Nigerian government to impose a N10 per litre Excise Tax on SSBs but said it  still fell short of the 20 per cent of the final retail price of SSB products being  recommended by the World Health Organisation

READ ALSO: Over 23,000 Residents Battling Hepatitis In This State – Ministry of Health

In a communique they issued at the end of  a One-Day Regional Stakeholders Forum on SSB’s in Enugu on Thursday, they noted that rather than offer nutritional value to consumers, that SSBs now constitute a huge public health and economic burden for the country.

The forum which was organised by the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), said this had increased the risk of overweight and obesity,  Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, renal problems and other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) among its citizens.

According to them, there should be adequate and sustained collaboration by governments at state and federal levels spearheaded by the Ministry of Health.

Such a collaboration, they added should create public awareness about issues connected with sugar diseases’ prevalence, and  health risks associated with SSB consumption and the benefits of the SSBs tax policy.

READ ALSO: Diphtheria: Low Vaccination Level Threatening Children’s Lives

Traditional institution, educational institutions, civil society organisations, the media, and healthcare providers, have a role to play in this.

 “They should also be at the fore front of correcting industry misinformation on SSB tax and local communities must not be left out of these processes.

“The FG should work in collaboration with the state governments to expand the coverage of taxes to include other sugar-sweetened beverages that are currently not taxed as precursor to earmarking such taxes to support and strengthen public health systems in Nigeria.

“Government should increase taxation on SSBs towards achieving a 20 per cent increase in the final retail price of targeted sugary drinks as recommended by WHO,” they said.

The communique was signed by CAPPA and other seven Civil Society Organisations with attendees from ministries of Health and Environment from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States as well as health experts, civil society organisations and media.

 “There is a need for national legislation that advocates for the imposition of a pro-health tax and the need for government to ensure healthier alternatives to SSBs are affordable and readily available.

READ ALSO: Man Follows Witchdoctor’s Advice, Fathers Baby With Own Daughter

“We  strongly advocated that the Federal Ministry of Health spearheads the initiative that FG and regulatory authorities should design and enforce penalties for companies that default on SSB tax obligations”, the stakeholders further advocated.

Although this is coming as a proposition from key stakeholders, a competent source told The Eagle that sugar diseases’ prevalence in the country remains a clear and present danger. There have been intense pressure on government to either prevail on the companies reduce sugar or be ready for punitive taxes; many of them appear to prefer the laater option”, he said