Dr. Gitahi Githinji, the CEO AMREF Africa says recent statistics are showing that globally sugar in both it’s visible and nonvisible forms is killing more people than accidents and terror activities and that sugar is more dangerous than gun powder.
The global Chief Executive Officer of international NGO
AMREF Africa, Dr. Gitahi Githinji, has called for legislation on fast foods and sugar if Uganda is to
tackle the growing public health threat of Non - Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
He said recent statistics are showing that globally sugar in
both it’s visible and nonvisible forms are killing more people than accidents
and terror activities and that sugar is more dangerous than gun powder.
Githinji made the remarks while delivering a key note address at the
inaugural annual National Health Promotion Conference this afternoon at the Speke Resort Munyonyo. He said the
cheapest way of handling the sugar challenge is increasing taxation on sugary
things like soda which he says in just a 300ml bottle which has over 100grams
of sugar and then the proceeds from such can be used to conduct health
promotion campaigns that discourage it’s use.
He said as countries are discussing Universal Health
Coverage (UHC) they are focusing on providing healthcare for those that are
sick and how people can be able to afford care and yet for him the biggest
discussion should be on how to keep healthy.
For him, simple interventions like maintaining proper
sanitation and ensuring that children are vaccinated is more effective in
achieving health for all and can turn around the grim picture where Uganda
still suffers high disease burden and yet 75% of these are preventable.
On his part, the World Health Organisation Country
Representative Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldermariam said Uganda has already been
successful in handling immunization campaigns with the recent Rubella-Measles
and Polio campaign held last month successfully reaching up to 20million children.
He said the country only needs to ensure that children turn up for routine immunization
and finish their doses.
He said for most of
the interventions into prevention, they don’t need high financial investment or
policy documents like declarations because those are already available.
Dr. Woldermariam said what is required now is making declarations made in conferences practical and
taking them to the community.
The two-day conference is being held under the theme
investing in health promotion and disease prevention to achieve Universal
Health Coverage.
