By Progress Godfrey, Abuja
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation, CAPPA, and the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), have called on the Nigerian government to set salt targets to improve access to healthy food and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria.
Addressing Journalists at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, tagged: “Healthy Diets: Set Salt Targets to Expand Access to Healthy Foods,” the Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi worried that presently, Nigeria records an estimated daily salt consumption reaching up to 5.8 grams per day, dangerously exceeding the 3 grams of sodium per day or less than 5 grams of salt per day, as set by the World Health Organisation, WHO.
According to the Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease are the primary cause of death and disability worldwide. Hypertension, mainly caused by an increased intake of salt or sodium, accounts for 12% of deaths in Nigeria.
“These alarming statistics are not surprising, given the significant changes in the Nigerian diet over the past decade. The influx of processed foods and seasonings loaded with high sodium on local market shelves and the growth of unhealthy fast-food outlets has led to a nutritional transition in the country that poses a grave risk to public health.
“Added to this risk is the recent reports of unbranded and unmeasured seasoning overtaking the markets in Northern Nigeria. In no distant time, the woes of these unchecked sales of Monosodium glutamate will manifest,” he said.
According to the Executive Director, the essence of the campaign is to inform and educate the public on the dangers of consuming foods with high amounts of salt, and to constantly engage with the government to establish relevant legislation to protect Nigerians.
He thanked the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare for signing the validated policy on Food Safety and Quality (FS&Q), while calling for more effort to ensure that Nigerians eat healthy diets.
He said, “To protect Nigerians, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMHSW) and National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) must take proactive steps to formulate healthy food policies and enforce them within the country.
“It is also imperative for competent agencies responsible for legislation and implementation of food safety standards in Nigeria to develop effective strategies for the regulation of large food industries, SMEs, and street food vendors, to set mandatory salt limits for all food products in compliance with global best practices.”
This, he said, would aid the enforcement of existing regulations like the #Transfat FreeNigeria regulation, as well as provide room for advancing complementary regulations that will take away foods that are injurious to the health of Nigerians.
Speaking earlier, the Project Lead, Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), Dr Jerome Mafeni said the need to set salt targets became crucial owing to the direct link between high salt intake and increased blood pressure, a leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
Mafeni said that reducing salt intake could significantly lower the rate of premature deaths and disabilities occasioned by cardiovascular diseases, while also reducing the economic impact of NCDs on the already overburdened Nigerian healthcare system.
He, therefore, advocated for the engagement of industry leaders through public-private partnerships to proffer responsible salt reduction practices, as well as recognizing and rewarding companies that adhere to set standards.
He also urged the Media on wide coverage, investigative and objective reportage.