Health officials in Ghana attribute the increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among young people to changes in their lifestyles.
The Vice President of the Ghana Medical Association, Prof. Ernest York, explained that factors such as increased reliance on junk food, higher alcohol consumption and reduced physical activity are major causes of NCDs in the youth.
Professor Yorke, in an interview with Citi News, highlighted the risk factors and changes in lifestyle choices associated with these conditions.
He noticed that fewer people are walking or engaging in physical activity, such as walking their children to school. Instead, they opt for vehicle transportation even for short distances.
In addition, the pattern of diet has changed, with many Ghanaians consuming large amounts of carbohydrate-rich foods such as banku and rice, which may contribute to the increase in NCDs.
βIn practice, this is what we have seen in materials and publications that I have reviewed. The trend with children is in the same direction and the reasons are not far-fetched. You can talk about the lifestyle. Very few of us walk now, taking our children to school.
For small things that you could walk to the next door neighbor’s house, we now use the vehicle. And our diets, you know that’s the key. While elsewhere we talk about protein, what kind of meal is characterized by what protein the meal has. We eat a lot of banku, rice in large quantities.”
In response to this growing concern, the National Coordinator of the NCD Alliance of Ghana, Labram Musah, stressed the need for stakeholders to implement policies to curb the trend.
He suggested that an effective method could be to revise the country’s tax structure and impose higher taxes on unhealthy goods.
He believes this would make such products more expensive, potentially discouraging their consumption and promoting healthier choices among the population.
βOur heads of state, our policy makers, decision makers from the Ministry of Finance, the Ghana Health Service, the EPA, wherever, we need to consciously look at how we can better review our tax structure because one of the most effective means of reducing the burden on people is to tax unhealthy goods. When it gets expensive, people will think twice about investing in it.”
βββββββββ
Explore the world of breaking news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!
Click the link to subscribe to the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for you:
No spam, just the stories that really matter! #StayInformed #CitiNewsroom #CNRDigital