The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the federal government of Nigeria and state authorities to demonstrate financial commitment towards reducing the risk of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases.
The not-for-profit, in a statement following last Thursday’s celebration of the World Diabetes Day, reiterated its call for an upward review of the country’s budgetary allocation to the health sector, as well as the N10/litre excise duty on sugar sweetened beverages – a known driver of diabetes.
CAPPA advised authorities to use the occasion of the day to reflect on the country’s huge burden of NCDs, including about 11.2 million Nigerians living with diabetes.
CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said: “Nigeria is grappling with a significant burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with one in 17 adults – roughly 11.2 million Nigerians – living with diabetes. This health crisis extends beyond the health sector, affecting the country’s social and economic environment.”
The statement further reads: “The rising prevalence of diabetes, compounded by unstable economic conditions and an unhealthy food environment, places more Nigerians at risk of severe hardship.
“According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and other leading international organisations, implementing effective policy measures like the SSB Tax and other forms of sin taxes, which reduce the desirability and accessibility of unhealthy diets, is essential for protecting public health.”
With this year’s World Diabetes Day themed “Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps”, CAPPA urged state authorities to demonstrate their commitment to reducing the risk of diabetes by implementing effective food policies that can guarantee Nigerians access to healthy diets.
The organisation also called on the government to channel revenue generated from the SSB tax towards improving healthcare infrastructure and subsidising costs of disease management in the country.
