Press Releases

This World Heart Day, the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) is calling on the government to take the health of South Africans to heart.

One in 3 South Africans suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease and heart disease and hypertension are in  listed in top ten causes of death in the country. A 2020 study  published in the European Heart Journal – Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes journal highlighted poor diet as one of the leading contributors to heart disease deaths around the world. The over consumption …

This World Heart Day, the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) is calling on the government to take the health of South Africans to heart. Read More »

Healthy Living Alliance steering conversations about healthy food and healthy living

The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) held its quarterly panel discussion at the Clico Boutique Hotel. HEALA advocates for communities to organize and mobilize around policy and the right to affordable, nutritious food. The discussion presented the media with an opportunity to learn about the role the big food plays in frustrating the implementation of lifesaving …

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Press Statement: Food and beverage companies are ‘cereal’ offenders when it comes to targeting children

New research demonstrates that child-directed marketing strategies are used on most South African breakfast cereals.  “New research from University of the Western Cape, led by researcher Alice S. Khan, exposes how breakfast cereals, which directly market to children, have a lower nutritional value and 96% of the cereals studied had a nutritional health claim. There is an …

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OP-ED: Aggressive advertising of unhealthy food targets children, but we can do something about it now

Growing up I watched the annual Christmas adverts made by a popular global sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) brand with amazement. Their trickery added to the festive magic and convinced me that Christmas would not be complete without their products being part of the family feast. As an adult, I know better. Their not-so-sweet intentions of making …

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Activists call for more restrictions on marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks to children

With one day to go before the 21 July closing of the public comment period for new draft legislation on mandatory food labelling and restrictions on marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks, the Healthy Living Alliance (Heala) is calling on government to strengthen the proposed marketing restrictions – specifically, to place tougher restrictions on advertising …

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WE ARE HIRING: Finance and Admin Intern

Position:  Finance and Admin Intern Location:  Rosebank, Johannesburg Contract duration:  9 months Closing date:  24th May 2023   About us: Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) is a coalition of civil society organisations advocating for equitable access to affordable, nutritious food in South Africa by building a more just food system.  HEALA’s vision is a South Africa …

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STATEMENT: For South Africans, Front-of-Pack Warning Labels are long overdue.

18 April 2023 The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) applauds the National Department of Health (NDoH) for releasing for public comment the Front-of-Pack Warning Label (FOPWL) regulations. We would like to encourage all South Africans to support the introduction of these mandatory black warning labels which will protect us from profit–driven corporate activities promoting harmful goods …

STATEMENT: For South Africans, Front-of-Pack Warning Labels are long overdue. Read More »

Press Statement: HEALA CALLS ON THE FINANCE MINISTER TO TAKE THE HEALTH OF SOUTH AFICANS SERIOUSLY AHEAD OF HIS 2023 BUDGET SPEECH

Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) is calling on the Finance Minister to put people’s health ahead of industry interests when he delivers his 2023 budget speech on 22nd of February. South Africans are facing a deluge of non-communicable diseases which could be prevented if the government institutes research based fiscal and legislative policies. Our health system …

Press Statement: HEALA CALLS ON THE FINANCE MINISTER TO TAKE THE HEALTH OF SOUTH AFICANS SERIOUSLY AHEAD OF HIS 2023 BUDGET SPEECH Read More »

World Diabetes Day, HEALA CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO TAKE ACTION

In recent years, it has become very clear that South Africans are consuming more ultra-processed foods that are high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat, contributing to an alarming increase in the numbers of obesity and higher levels of Noncommunicable Disease rates. This has resulted in an alarming  increase in the number of South Africans …

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