CSOs sensitise public on sugar sweetened beverages

Advocating for Health (A4H) project, a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working to improve public health awareness, has started a sensitisation compaign aimed at reducing the consumption of excessive sugar sweetened beverages in the country.

The one-year project, supported by Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), is to help raise awareness on the health implications of in-take of sugar sweetened beverages and the need to develop healthy lifestyles.

The CSOs and institutions on the project include Ghana Public Health Association (GPHA), Ghana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (GAND), Ghana Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance (GhNCDA), University of Ghana amongst other partners.

Professor Paul Armah Aryee, member of GAND, who spoke when the CSOs embarked on a float through some principal streets in Tamale to mark the campaign, expressed need for stakeholders to pool resources towards developing a sensitisation strategy for drastic reduction in consumption of sugar sweetened beverages.

He said, “Excessive consumption of sugar sweetened beverages increases the risk of type two diabetes, stroke, kidney failure and heart diseases.”

Professor Aryee said, “Reduced consumption of sugar sweetened beverages can lower the risk of cancer, overweight, obesity and other non-communicable diseases.”

Mr James McKeown Amoah, Project Lead at GPHA noted that the rising cases of cardiovascular diseases, especially among the youth, called for pragmatic measures to curb its prevalence hence the campaign.

He indicated that similar campaigns would be organised in other parts of the country to ensure that more people were sensitised to guarantee their health needs.

He urged members of the public to prioritise healthy lifestyle measures by avoiding beverages that endangered their well-being.

Source: GNA