The Institute of Leadership and Development (INSLA) has called on the Ghanaian government to urgently adopt and implement policies aimed at creating a healthier food environment, warning that unhealthy diets are contributing to the country’s growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Mary Kpogo, a Project Officer at INSLA, said the availability and aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks were making it increasingly difficult for Ghanaians, particularly children, to make healthier choices.

Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday (12 August), Kpogo said unhealthy food products were readily available in schools, filling stations and other public spaces.

“Wherever you go, the choices that are available to us are unhealthy,” she said.

She explained that an unhealthy food environment was one where consumers were surrounded by products high in sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and other ingredients that could increase health risks.

Ms Kpogo said government should introduce fiscal measures that make healthier food options more affordable, particularly for low-income households.

She advocated subsidies for healthier foods alongside higher taxes on unhealthy products, including sugar-sweetened beverages.

She cited the existing excise duty on sugar-sweetened beverages and called for stronger implementation of policies designed to discourage excessive consumption of unhealthy products.

“If the healthy food is cheap, definitely someone earning low can still buy them and someone earning high can also buy them,” she said.

Kpogo also called for the implementation of a front-of-pack food labelling system that would allow consumers to quickly identify products high in sugar, salt and fat.

She said existing nutritional information on food packaging was often difficult for consumers to interpret and that clearer warnings could help people make informed choices.

“What we are saying is that the nutrient labelling there should be visible. It should be loud so that even if you are not too close to their products, you should be able to know that this is right for me, this is not right for me,” she said.

She argued that the labelling should be simple enough for consumers with limited formal education to understand.

Ms Kpogo said the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) should also verify health and nutritional claims made by manufacturers before products reach the market.

She expressed concern about the exposure of Ghanaian children to advertisements for sugary drinks, snacks and highly processed foods.

According to her, manufacturers use television, social media, celebrities, influencers, sports personalities and cartoons to market such products to children.

She said restrictions on the advertising of unhealthy foods, particularly during periods when children were likely to be watching, could help reduce their influence.

“Celebrities are doing advertisements for these sugary drinks and for these unhealthy diets, but I’m sure that if this policy is being implemented, it is going to restrict what they do,” she said.

Kpogo also pointed to the availability of unhealthy foods in school canteens, saying children were often more likely to choose sugary drinks, pastries and other processed foods over healthier alternatives because they were more readily available.

Kpogo said government could also use its purchasing power to improve Ghana’s food environment through healthier food procurement in schools, hospitals, prisons, military facilities and other public institutions.

She said proposed public food procurement policies should limit the amount of sugar, salt and trans fats in food served at public institutions.

She cited Ghana’s strategy on trans-fatty acids, which seeks to limit their consumption to 2 percent or less, but said such policies needed to move beyond development into implementation.

“These policies are just hanging there,” she said, urging government to adopt and implement them.

Ms Kpogo said urgent action was needed because of the rising prevalence of conditions such as hypertension, kidney disease and cancer.

She cited World Health Organisation figures indicating that NCDs account for about 43 percent of deaths in Ghana, describing the situation as alarming.

INSLA, she said, was working with the Coalition of Actors for Public Health Advocacy (CAPA) on the “Creating Healthier Future” project to advocate for policies that would improve Ghana’s food environment.

She urged government to speed up the adoption of the proposed policies while encouraging consumers to make healthier dietary and lifestyle choices.

“Governments should pass these policies. Then the consumer should also make informed choices on what they eat,” she said.