Diets in sub-Saharan Africa are changing as more countries advance from low-income to middle-income status. People’s eating habits are shifting from food rich in starchy staples, vegetables and fruits to a more westernised diet high in sugar, saturated fats and oils. This shift to unhealthy foods is fuelling obesity related chronic, noncommunicable conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Preventive measures are more critical than ever to curtail this tsunami that is overwhelming health systems.
One area that must adjust is the food and beverage sector in sub-Saharan Africa. The processed food industry is promoting the region as a growth market for its products.
Sales of unhealthy foods and beverages in sub-Saharan Africa are skyrocketing. This is leading to an increase in obesity related conditons such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
These diseases are projected to become the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, overtaking communicable diseases like HIV and TB. The economic cost of noncommunicable diseases is immense. They result in significant disability, and can be very expensive to treat. In South Africa, the medical cost of diabetes was R2.7 billion in 2018.
But noncommunicable diseases are preventable. The economic and societal impact can be mitigated if governments take decisive action to reduce the availability of harmful products such as unhealthy food, alcohol and tobacco.