The Nation
Policies for the taxing of carbonated drinks will help Nigeria beat non-communicable diseases and boost economic productivity, a public health physician and founding member of the National Action on Sugar Reduction Coalition, Dr Laz Ude Eze, has said.
He noted that the country is combating three concurrent health epidemics: communicable diseases (including COVID-19 and cholera), non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and road traffic injuries.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), in 2016, estimated that NCDs accounted for about 29 per cent of deaths in Nigeria, which is equivalent to about 2.1million lives that are lost on average to NCDs.
He said: “Many of the documented risk factors associated with NCDs are lifestyle and choice-based. Behavioural risk factors such as excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), inadequate physical activity, tobacco smoking and high caloric intake. None of these has been helped by the urban sedentary lifestyle and diet transition to processed foods and beverages.
“In Nigeria, the consumption of SSBs is a leading risk factor for NCD-related deaths. According to a 2016 global soft drinks market analysis, Nigeria is the fourth highest consumer in the world market for soft drinks, coming after the United States, China and Mexico.
“With about 38.7 million litres of soft drinks sold yearly and a rising trend in the obesity figures, Nigeria is currently a minefield of NCD-related deaths.
“At the policy level, several instruments are in place to address the root causes of communicable diseases and road traffic injuries, which have been, arguably, successful.
