Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the government to ensure policies that protect the populace and reduce cost of managing diseases to improve the nation’s health outlook.
Senior Programme Manager, CAPPA, Mr Abayomi Sarumi, said in Lagos on Sunday that currently, over 80 percent of Nigerians pay for health care out-of-pocket.
Sarumi said that this unsustainable health financing puts the country in greater danger.
“To prevent decline in the health indices, government must urgently revise the #10/litre sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax to a minimum of #130/litre, adjusted for inflation, to help curb the menace of excessive consumption of SSBs.
“In the same vein, a mandatory salt target must be put in place by NAFDAC to complement the existing regulations on trans fat in Nigeria.
“While we do these, we must not forget the interconnectedness of the issues that affect our health – which include but are not limited to climate, water access, environmental degradation, tobacco smoking, and even education,” he said.
ALSO READ: Adopt kangaroo mother care method to save premature babies – Paediatrician
Sarumi said that this year’s theme, “My Health, My Right”, highlighted the need to intensify advocacy for access to quality healthcare, education and information as fundamental human rights.
He said many didn’t understand the importance of information in managing a population’s health as can be seen by the increasing burden of Non-Communicable Diseases heavily linked with diet and other unhealthy behaviour.
According to him, these risk factors are usually referred to as modifiable risk factors which underscore that the right information can help change the processes and give guaranteed positive outcomes in terms of health of the population and the country’s productivity.
NAN
