The Ministries of Health in the five states in Nigeria’s Southeast region have advocated for 20 percent taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages SSBs after a communique issued at the end of a one-day regional stakeholders forum held in Enugu on SSBs to reduce high sugar consumption by Nigerians.
The forum, organized by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa with the support of a development partner, the Global Health Advocacy Incubator noted that SSBs offered no nutritional value, but constituted a huge public health and economic burden for the country.
It was revealed that High levels of sugar consumption had increased the population of obese people and also the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, renal problems, and other non-communicable diseases
It, therefore recommended sustained collaboration by governments at state and federal levels to engender public awareness of the health risks of SSB consumption and the benefits of the SSBs tax policy, adding that traditional and educational institutions, civil society organizations, the media, and healthcare providers, among others, should be actively engaged in the campaign against SSBs.
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