Dr. Amadi Dorothy, Deputy Director of the Non-communicable Diseases, Public Health Department at the Federal Ministry of Health, has disclosed that Nigeria holds the record for the highest daily consumption of soft drinks globally, with an estimated 38.6 million units sold each day.

This revelation was made during the inaugural meeting of an ad-hoc committee convened by the Non-Communicable Disease Division of the Federal Ministry of Health….CONTINUE READING

The committee comprises representatives from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the government, each playing a significant role in implementing the Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB) tax to address the escalating burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Nigeria.

Dr. Amadi cautioned that the substantial surge in the consumption of SSBs (such as soda, fruit drinks, sweetened water, and energy drinks) in Nigeria is raising serious public health concerns.

This surge has been linked to the increased prevalence of non-communicable diseases, including weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, kidney diseases, and cancer.

The expert underscored the critical link between frequent SSB consumption and the onset of NCDs, emphasizing the potential harm to dental health, heart diseases like stroke and hypertension, as well as a heightened risk of various forms of cancer.

Amadi highlighted that SSB tax has emerged as a recognized and effective strategy to curb the consumption of such beverages. By implementing this tax, the aim is to mitigate the consumption of SSBs, subsequently reducing the incidence and prevalence of non-communicable diseases.