SSBs Remain Major Public Health Challenges In Nigeria – Expert

By Sani Aliyu, Zaria

Dr. Olasinde Hassan of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Shika, Zaria has said, sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) remain a major public health and socio-economic challenge in Nigeria.

He stated this during a Talk Shop series 4.0 social mobilization organized by the Department of Local Government Studies and Development, Ahmadu Bello University, Kongo Campus, Zaria on Tuesday.

Dr. Hassan also said Sugar-Sweetened Beverages are fueling the rising burden of obesity, diabetes and other non communicable diseases.

According to him, the introduction of an excise tax is a commendable first step and it remains insufficient without complementary interventions in schools, such as stronger regulations on marketing, restriction in schools, subsidies for healthier alternatives and robust health education campaigns.

While advising the government to raise the current Sugar Sweetened Beverages excise duty to match global best practices and enforce it strictly, he also wants government to enact legislation to regulate misleading advertisements, especially those targeting children and adolescents.

Dr. Olasinde Hassan called on the media to leverage their platform to raise awareness about the detrimental effects of Sugar Sweetened Beverages consumption and underscore the significance of the SSB tax.

In his remarks, the convener of the programme, Professor Abdulhamidu Abdullahi said, the chosen topic “Implication of SSB and SSBTAX on Health Development in Nigeria is apt.

Prof. Abdulhamidu added that they select the topic for people to have awareness on the effects of sugar in our health issue.