According to WHO’s 2016 report, every year 40.5 million people die from Non Communicable Disease (NCD) such as heart, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes worldwide. Of which, 31.5 million are from low and medium level income countries.
As the report stated 17 million deaths were caused by heart disease, nine million by cancer, 3.8 million by respiratory diseases and 1.6 million by diabetes. By the same year, Ethiopia has lost 275,000 people by NCDs – cardiovascular disease 16 percent, cancer seven percent, respiratory diseases and diabetes two percent respectively and other NCD 12 percent. Alcohol, absence of physical exercise, consumption of too much salt and tobacco were reported as high risk factors for the aforementioned illnesses and premature deaths.
Kifle Habte Associate Researcher in Food Science and Nutrition with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute said currently trans fatty acids, a type of manufactured fat produced from unsaturated vegetable oils through a process called hydrogenation, is causing deaths on more people each year. “Trans fat can be natural or manmade. Naturally we get it from animal fat and greasy meat while artificially we get it from vegetable fat processed in industries.”
As to him, vegetable oils with a tendency to coagulate, margarine, chips, popcorn popped by oil, biscuits, salty and sweet cookies, chicken and fish roasted in oil, coffee creams that are not dairy products, industrially processed milk and other dairy products cause severe health problems. “WHO advises that out of the 2000 calories we need to take on a daily basis, the recommended daily amount of trans fat should not exceed from 2.2 grams.”
The Organization further hints countries to identify trans fat rich food stuffs and ban the excessive consumption of it. Equally, it highly recommends the importance of devising a policy that prohibits food producers from producing food-stuffs with harmless fat and oil products. In the same way, it underlines the importance of a comprehensive decree to remove trans fat from the food chain, mobilize the policy makers, increase the awareness of the manufacturers, distributors and the public on the issue and levy heavy taxation on imported trans-fat rich food stuff, as he elaborated.
Tegene Regasa (Dr) Director of Public Relation in Ministry of Health on his part said that 50 percent of deaths come to happen in Ethiopia are caused by NCDs. To curb this and prevent the public from deaths triggered by trans fats, the Ministry has developed national strategic action plan. Unhealthy diet is the major cause of many of the diseases and early deaths. Trans fat, which is found in processed food, is also worsening the situation.
The national strategic action plan, hence, would hopefully assist the efforts the country has already set out to prevent and control NCDs and restrain their risk factors in Ethiopia. As he clarified, the national strategic action plan outlines the major NCDs and the risk factors which should receive due priority in Ethiopia. The illnesses include cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes and their aggravating risk factors among others are tobacco, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet.
“To prevent NCDs caused by unhealthy diet, the Ministry has been undertaking awareness creation activities for citizens through the help of different Medias.” It has been also strengthening collaboration with nongovernmental organizations that are working focusing on public health and awareness creation on the areas of health related issues, like the Health Development and Anti Malaria Association (HDAMA).
“Similarly, in partnership with the Public Health Centers (PHC), extended services have been provided in the health post and health extension programs, as well as in secondary and tertiary health institutions. In the same manner, to reduce risks that may occur due to out of time products, the government has introduced electronic technology which tests the freshness of food, beverage and medicines. The technology would detect unsafe or out of time food stuffs,” Tegene added.
The Ethiopian Herald, March 13/2019
BY TAMERU REGASA
