Dr Amos Laar: Abstract
Amos Laar. Ph.D
Department of Population, Family & Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana. alaar@ug.edu.gh
Title:
Valorizing food environments research and increasing demand for healthy food policy in Africa: Lessons from Ghana
Abstract:
Amidst a high burden of infectious diseases, undernutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are predicted to become the leading cause of death in Africa by 2030. The world over, NCDs are driven largely by unhealthy food environments. Concerned, the Ghana Ministry of Health has since 2012 sought to garner multi-stakeholder contribution to the development and implementation of NCDs prevention policies and programmes. However, data poverty and policy inertia presented critical challenges. I aim to share how a public interest Coalition used context-relevant food environments research, evidence-informed advocacy, and scholar activism to create a favorable environment and stakeholder buy-in for food-based policies in Ghana. Made possible by the food environments research, the Coalition’s food activism work included informed discourses about food systems, food environments, food ethics, food literacy, food policy, and food security. Tangibly, this work has valorized and increased demand for a fit-for-local purpose double-duty food-based policy bundle (comprising marketing regulations, front-of-pack nutrition labelling, food-related health taxes, and public food procurement policy). Passed by the Ghanaian Parliament, and assented to by the President on April 3 2023, Ghana currently
Department of Population, Family & Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana. alaar@ug.edu.gh
Title:
Valorizing food environments research and increasing demand for healthy food policy in Africa: Lessons from Ghana
Abstract:
Amidst a high burden of infectious diseases, undernutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are predicted to become the leading cause of death in Africa by 2030. The world over, NCDs are driven largely by unhealthy food environments. Concerned, the Ghana Ministry of Health has since 2012 sought to garner multi-stakeholder contribution to the development and implementation of NCDs prevention policies and programmes. However, data poverty and policy inertia presented critical challenges. I aim to share how a public interest Coalition used context-relevant food environments research, evidence-informed advocacy, and scholar activism to create a favorable environment and stakeholder buy-in for food-based policies in Ghana. Made possible by the food environments research, the Coalition’s food activism work included informed discourses about food systems, food environments, food ethics, food literacy, food policy, and food security. Tangibly, this work has valorized and increased demand for a fit-for-local purpose double-duty food-based policy bundle (comprising marketing regulations, front-of-pack nutrition labelling, food-related health taxes, and public food procurement policy). Passed by the Ghanaian Parliament, and assented to by the President on April 3 2023, Ghana currently
