HEALA supports National Treasury’s attempts to protect sugary drinks tax We support Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s announcement that he will adjust the health promotion levy (HPL) for inflation from 1 April 2019. In his speech, Mboweni said the levy rate would increase to 2.21 cents to avoid an erosion in the value of the tax …
HEALA URGES NEWLY APPOINTED HEALTH MINISTER, DR ZWELI MKHIZE, TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT AGAINST OBESITY AND NCDs IN THE COUNTRY 30 May 2019 – The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) welcomes the appointment of Dr Zweli Mkhize as the National Minister of Health. We hope that this moment presents an opportunity for renewed energy and commitment, …
#WHATSINMYFOOD WE NEED CLEAR LABELLING ON FOOD! 21 February 2019 – The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) is launching a campaign that asserts the right of every South African to know what is in the processed food we are eating, and calls on government to help us to do this. The overall message of the #whatsinmyfood …
HEALA TAKES #WHATSINMYFOOD CAMPAIGN TO GAUTENG SCHOOLS 4 March 2019 – As part of the #WhatsInMyFood campaign HEALA has partnered with 30 schools across Johannesburg to create healthier school environments. Last week, HEALA visited schools in Soweto and Tembisa, where 150 learners participated in discussions around healthy food choices. Learners in each school also came …
HEALA APPOINTS NEW PROGRAMMES MANAGER 23 April 2019 – Lawrence Mbalati has been appointed the new head of the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA), effective 15 April 2019. In his new role, Lawrence will develop and drive the strategy for a robust campaign seeking to achieve policy reform in obesity and NCD-related issues in South Africa. …
A YEAR OF THE HEALTH PROMOTION LEVY 1st April 2019 marks a year since the introduction of the sugary drinks tax, also known as the health promotion levy. The 11% tax was implemented as a means to mitigate the rising and shocking rates of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country. Revenue generated from …
The health promotion levy, commonly known as the sugary drinks tax, was introduced in April 2018, at a watered-down 11% instead of the proposed 20% recommended by the World Health Organisation to effectively reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and fight obesity and its associated non-communicable diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension and Stroke. In …
HEALA’s research into over 60 Gauteng schools in 2018 found high consumption of overly processed unhealthy foods, very little regulation of tuck-shops and food vendors, a lot of beverage industry branding in and around schools, a general lack of knowledge about healthy food and healthy eating, as well as the socio-economic determinants of what informs …
South African shops are inundated with pre-packaged foods that are processed with high levels of added sugars, salt, and saturated fats. The dominance of these unhealthy products in stores, incomprehensible food labels and aggressive advertising by the food industry undermine the consumers’ ability to choose healthier food options. We advocate for front-of-package warning labels so that people know exactly what’s in their food, so they can make more informed decisions.
The United Nations has declared 7 June the first World Food Safety Day to strengthen efforts to ensure what we eat is safe. Every year, nearly one in 10 people in the world, about 600-million people, fall ill and 420,000 die after eating food contaminated by bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances. Unsafe food hinders development in …
From farm to plate: Food safety is everyone’s business Read More »
