The Federal Government on has advised Nigerians to make healthy food choices to reduce the rising spate of cardiovascular health issues, posing a high burden on existing health facilities.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunimbe Mamora, gave the advice at the National Summit on Food Drinks and Cardiovascular Health in Nigeria: Science, Evidence, Manufacturer and Consumer Advocacy, organised by the Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF) in Lagos.
Mamora, who was represented by Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) said that cardiovascular diseases could be controlled to a large extent by making healthy food choices.
The minister applauded stakeholders for joining hands to create awareness on the importance of the impact of food choices on health, particularly cardiovascular health.
“We should have control over what we eat. We know that many of this non communicable diseases are related to what we do, what we eat and what we drink.”
He said the summit was organised in furtherance of the recent World Health Assembly which endorsed the Non-Communicable Diseases Action Plan 2020-2030 and recommended the promotion of healthy diets by member states, International Partners and Non-governmental Organisations.
Mamora said the Nigerian Policy and Strategic Plan of Action on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), a Federal Ministry of Health document, when finalised, would look at different ways to manage NCDs.
He said NCDs was a rising cause of morbidity and mortality in the country.
According to him, the nation needs , integrative collaboration to deliver quality, accessible and affordable health services to Nigerians, given its recent national experience with Covid-19 pandemic from 2019-2022.
The minister, however, noted that the Federal Ministry of Health had made some remarkable progress since the establishment of the NCD Division in 1989, and the recent creation of a Cardiovascular Health Unit in the last few years, among other interventions.
He listed such intervention to include the National Multi-Sectoral Action Plan 2012-2025 for the prevention and control of Non-Communicable Diseases of which cardiovascular disease was a key priority.
Mamora added that the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 to legally enforce implementation of tobacco control measures remained a huge feat, since tobacco is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
“We know this is a giant step in line with global practice but there are huge gaps to be bridged.
“The recent introduction of fiscal measures on taxation on tobacco, non-alcoholic drinks and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages is another measure.
“We hope the funds accruing from these will be dedicated to the prevention and care of people living with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD),” Mamora said.
He called for actionable plans to further advance sustainable health interventions especially in the area of cardiovascular health through the media, research, manufacturing industries and consumer interactions.
Mamora said that the Federal Ministry of Health, International Agencies and other Policy Makers would be keenly interested in the recommendations at the end of the summit.
Highlighting the objectives of the Summit, Dr Kingsley Akinroye, Executive Director of NHF, said it was to promote awareness on the rising prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria.
Akinroye added that the summit was also to review the current data on National and Global trends of the impact of food and drinks on cardiovascular health as well as to identify intervention measures.
According to him, there is no doubt people are contacting heart diseases everyday- hypertension, heart attacks, kidney failure, brain diseases, stroke and others, hence the need to tackle the causative agents .
In his remarks, Dr Olufemi Mobolaji-Lawal, the Chairman, NHF, Executive Council, said that people needed to cut down on intake of sugar, salts and food high in cholesterol, saying “there is an urgent need to dissuade people from taking sweet things”.
Also, Mr Ambrose Oruche, the Director, Corporate Services, Manufacturer Association of Nigeria (MAN), said that the body was in collaboration with National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Standard Organisation of Nigeria to protect public health.
Earlier, the President of NHF, Mallam Ismaila Shuaibu, said that the summit was to ascertain the roles of the different stakeholders/sectors in proffering solutions to curb the scourge of cardiovascular diseases.
The summit brought to together stakeholders from government, international organisations, civil society organisations, private sector, the academia, researchers, consumers and manufacturers and stakeholders in the field of food, drinks, manufacturing and consumer advocacy.