People with diabetes in Nigeria to increase except… – Global Panel

Except the Nigeria government expedite actions on implementing the national nutrition policy, population of diabetes patients will rise to 6.1 million by 2030. Th is warning was given recently by the Director, Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, Prof. Sandy Th omas, while unveiling the the Global Panel’s Foresight report “Food systems and diets: Facing the challenges of the 21st century”, in Abuja She said as a result, the Federal Government should engage in lots of nutritional awareness, initiate policies that will prioritise good nutrition in schools, prisons, hospitals among other public places.

She disclosed this at the panel discussion after the unveiling of the Agricultural Sector Food Security and Nutrition Strategy 2016 to 2025 in Abuja. Th omas said: “Provide high quality foods in schools and workplace. In schools, hospitals across the country including armed forces, in the prison system, it is important to increase advocacy for nutritious foods as it increases diets. “

Th is can shape the norms around foods that contribute to consumption of highquality foods. People with diabetes are forecast to double from 3.1 to 6.1 million between 2011 – 2030.” She emphasized need to transform the country’s food environment in ways to promote greater diversity, availability, aff ordability and nutrition. Speaking on the policy document, she stated that it provides recommendation for actions that supply dynamics of the food system. Th omas advised the federal government to implement economic measures through taxes, subsidies, controls and redistribution of income to nutritionally-vulnerable groups.

She added that government should encourage marketing of high quality diets and restrict promotion of unhealthy foods, stressing that these should serve as actions to shape food environment for improved diets and nutrition. She emphasized that government should encourage more social marketing to promote nutritious foods and discourage or restrict marketing of food products to children. “Advertising of snacks should not be accepted. We need to reformulate, label and processed foods to increase nutritional value – extending the reach of more nutritious reformulated products. “Some forms of processing can help increase food availability, extend seasonality and make food safer to eat. Food fortifi cation can also add nutritional value and the labeling could help consumers make nutrition-based decisions,” She added

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