The post  Invitation to Participate in the Healthy Jozi Workplace Health Screening and Wellness Programme  appeared first on Heala.

The South African government imposes taxes on certain products, such as alcohol and tobacco, to generate revenue and discourage consumption due to their negative health and societal impacts. Similarly, HPL aims to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks. However, unlike “sin taxes,” the HPL hasn’t seen a significant increase since its introduction in 2018, representing a potential missed opportunity for revenue.

The World Health Organisation has highlighted the importance of health taxes, noting that health taxes are a valuable tool for reducing disease burden and generating revenue. By implementing or increasing these taxes, governments can improve public health outcomes while securing funds for healthcare initiatives. 

South Africa is facing a dramatic increase in non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. The overconsumption of sugary drinks has been linked to an increase risk of these illnesses. 

These taxes offer multiple benefits, including improved health outcomes, reduced consumption of harmful products, and increased revenue for healthcare. They can also be used to fund specific health initiatives, such as universal health coverage, increases in the child support grant and the expansion of the National School Nutrition Programme. 

It is unconscionable that the sugar industry continues to be coddled by the government, while calls for an increase in the HPL to protect the lives of South Africans go unheeded.

HEALA is calling for an increase to the HPL and the recognition of the levy as a necessary health tax for the good of all who live in South Africa. 

Ends.

For media enquiries please contact

Zukiswa Zimela HEALA Communications Manager

zukiswa[@]heala.org 0745210651

The post Glaring omission in Godongwana’s mid-term budget policy statement. appeared first on Heala.

Stunting does not only disadvantage the individual into adulthood but also ultimately affects national development due to its health and economic consequences. Children who are stunted at two years old are likely to be stunted as adults. They are also at high risk of developing chronic diseases and obesity in adulthood (let’s not forget that 1 in 8 South African children under five years are already overweight or obese).

As these kids’ brains have not developed properly, a magnitude of intellectual issues persist such as reduced cognitive ability, fewer schooling years achieved, poor attainment of job opportunities, and lower wages later in life.  This proposes many economic consequences for individuals, households, and our country, including higher healthcare costs.

Read the rest of the article in Daily Maverick.

The post World Hunger Day — a chance for South Africa to vote for food justice appeared first on Heala.

The over consumption of an unhealthy diet is one of the leading causes of death for millions of people around the world.  Now more than ever, South Africa needs strong evidence based regulations to protect us from life threatening noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease.

Pre-packaged foods and beverages, high in salt, sugar and saturated fat have increasingly become readily available in virtually every community around the world, with South African shops inundated with these pre-packaged foods that are processed with high levels of added sugars, salt, and saturated fats. Research has found these nutrients are connected to increased obesity and chronic nutrition-related diseases.

“More than six million deaths [globally] could be avoided by reducing intake of processed foods, sugary beverages, trans and saturated fats, and added salt and sugar, “researchers found.

Front of pack warning labels are among the tools recommended by the World Health Organisation aimed at reducing the consumption of foods high in salt, sugar and saturated fat. Earlier this year the National Department of Health (NDoH) released for public comment draft regulations on the implementation of mandatory front of pack warning labels. According to the proposed regulations, all foods and beverages that have added salt, sugar or saturated fat and fall within “high in” thresholds or contain any non-sugar sweetener will have a black and white triangle warning on them to alert consumers.

The country cannot afford a delay in the implementation of the mandatory front of pack warning labels regulations. HEALA is calling on key decision makers to prioritise the health of South Africans.

“We calling on the National Department of Health to lead by its own mission “to improve health status through the prevention of illness, disease and the promotion of healthy lifestyles, and to consistently improve the health care delivery system by focusing on access, equity, efficiency, quality and sustainability”,” says Nzama Mbalati, Programmes Manager at HEALA.

The consumption of sugar sweetened beverages has also been linked to an increased risk of heart diseases. In a bold move by the South African government, the country blazed a trail as the first African country to legalise a tax on sugary drinks, in order to reduce the consumption of these products. However, in a series of decisions which favour the sugar industry, including putting a moratorium on an increase of the tax until 2025, National Treasury has threatened the efficacy of the regulation and put people’s health at risk.

“Industry often uses its economic power, lobbying and marketing machinery, and manipulation of the media to discredit scientific research and influence government inaction in order to propagate the sale and distribution of its deadly products. We cannot allow the continuation of putting profits over people,” Mbalati says.

END

About HEALA’s advocacy work in South Africa:

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. Because government policy forms a crucial part of the South Africa’s food system, HEALA believes that hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition are policy choices.

HEALA advances the right to food by advocating for more just food systems in South Africa. We do this by acting as a platform for organisations and communities to organise around the realisation of the right to affordable and nutritious food. Through our campaigns, we help amplify the voices of people on the ground to ensure that they are heard by those in power at a local, provincial and national level.

HEALA’s vision is a South Africa in which all people have equitable access to healthy food to unlock their full potential.

For more information about HEALA’s advocacy work, please visit: www.heala.org

Media Contact
Zukiswa Zimela, Communications Manager
zzimela@heala.org; 0745201652

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

Associations and experts working in nutrition and food systems say that the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent national lockdown has emphasised the importance of food security and nutritional wellbeing for all in the country.  

They also say that it has exposed the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the country’s current food systems. In view of this, the Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA), the Nutrition Society of South Africa (NSSA) and Dietetics-Nutrition is a Profession (DIP) penned an open letter that calls on the government to address malnutrition in all its forms.   

The health bodies say that, nationally, efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19 have resulted in increased food shortages, nutrition deficits, and an interruption of social and other nutrition support services that the most marginalised groups in the country rely on. 

Diet affected by lockdown  

According to Dr Christine Taljaar-Krugell, ADSA President, more than a quarter of the South African female adult population is overweight and more than a third obese, with the highest prevalence (42%) among urban women.  

Moreover, it is estimated that 269 000 non-communicable disease (NCD) related deaths occur in the country annually.  

Speaking to Health-e News Maria van der Merwe, ADSA spokesperson says the initial hard lockdown response had an immediate and acute impact on households and communities in a multitude of ways.  

“With regards to food and nutrition [there was] interrupted access to food due to restrictions on travelling and informal trading, and discontinuation of food and nutrition social programmes such as the National School Nutrition Programme and feeding at Early Childhood Development programmes,” she explains. 

She continues: “Although the nutrition situation in the country has been of concern prior to the pandemic, the acute nature and vast extent of the lockdown brought the plight of individuals and communities to the forefront.” 

Prof Corinna Walsh, NSSA President, explains that food relief and social relief interventions, such as food parcels and social grants, could address more immediate nutritional needs, but broader actions are required to address the underlying causes of malnutrition.  

Transforming food systems 

DIP notes that the pandemic has come at a time when global food security and food systems are already under strain due to natural disasters, climate change and other challenges.  

This has exacerbated the need to transform food systems to become sustainable and resilient, DIP says. 

“In a way, the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the challenges of food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition which existed prior to the outbreak but are now affecting more individuals and households,” says Phunyuka Ngwenya, of DIP. 

She further says that, “the Covid-19 pandemic is unlike anything we have faced in our generation and requires a huge coordinated response from the public and private sector as well as efforts by each individual to curb the spread.”  

Ngwenya adds that the anticipated number of Covid-19 cases will increase rapidly over the next few weeks and months, straining an already burdened economy and health system.  

“Over the long term, the threat of Covid-19 to food security and nutrition is a global concern, with a looming food emergency. It, therefore, requires immediate coordinated action to limit the long-term adverse effects.” 

UN global warning 

The open letter arrives at a time when the United Nations has recognised the threat of the coronavirus pandemic to food security and warns of a dire food emergency if immediate coordinated action isn’t taken.  

While hunger has been reduced and food access in South Africa has improved over the past 15 years, research shows that 1.7–million households still experienced hunger in 2017, and the pace of addressing inadequate food access has been too slow to achieve the goal of zero hunger by 2030. 

According to ADSA, NSSA and DIP, early indications suggest a rapid rise in hunger prevalence since the lockdown was imposed, with up to 24% of residents not having money to buy food.  

In addition, in this context, food prices have increased by as much as 30% over the past two months, further adding to the financial strain on households. It is also anticipated that maternal and child mortality is likely to increase directly and indirectly as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. 

Coordinated efforts needed  

The health bodies say an important first step will be to recognise the severity of the situation and the need for coordinated strategic efforts to address the underlying factors that contribute to malnutrition, such as insufficient access to food, affordability of fresh foods, poor health services and a lack of quality water and sanitation.  

In a collective response sent to Health-e News by ADSA, NSSA and DIP, they mention that food security and nutritional needs have to be addressed collectively with interventions aimed at tackling these factors.  

“It will require concerted efforts from government, the private sector and civil society to address the immediate, underlying and structural causes of undernutrition,” say the associations. 

They propose that the government must: 

• Prioritise nutrition on policy agendas related to health and social security, including a regulatory framework to support access to healthy and affordable foods.  
• Provide strategic direction and ensure coordinated and aligned programming to address food and nutrition security, in collaboration with other sectors including civil society organisations.  
• Coordinate an adequate and targeted food and social relief approach, prioritising the most vulnerable and needy for short term mitigation. Food relief should be standardised and tailored to the nutritional needs of targeted beneficiaries, especially children.  

• Progress towards universal health coverage, to ensure access to quality, essential health care.  
• Prioritise the challenges faced by specific populations, including the elderly, women (especially women of childbearing age), children and those with pre-existing medical conditions (most notably HIV/AIDS, TB and NCDs).  
• Implement well-funded coordinated strategies to actively address the main drivers of malnutrition; paying attention to food, nutrition and health, backed up by responsive social protection mechanisms. 
• Improve access to quality nutrition care through investment in human resources to increase the number of qualified nutrition professionals as well as education opportunities for other cadres of workers that provide nutrition services in primary care settings. 
• Promote nutrition education of the public through targeted and relevant nutrition messaging and communication campaigns. – Health-e News 

The post #LockdownSA: Looming food emergency due to structural inequalities appeared first on Heala.

Food security and hunger has come to the fore in South Africa, as the Covid-19 pandemic and national lockdown has exacerbated pre-existing food system inequalities, and increased food prices. The United Nations has also recently warned governments that the world faces a food crisis that has been unseen for at least 50 years.  

Youth farmers  

But, three young adults from Soshanguve’s Block H have first-hand experience with the effects of food instability, hunger and gender-based violence in their community, and wanted to do something about it. 

Amogelang Moroba, #Helpafriendout chairperson, Oreneile Matjene, secretary, and Aubrey Nkuna started #Helpafriendout in February 2019. The organisation broadly focusses on farming, tackling gender-based violence and youth development and upskilling.  

“As an organisation we do social and economic development. Covid-19 affected our community badly. People have lost their jobs and it has increased gender-based violence through decreasing incomes,” Moroba tells Health-e News.  

He adds that access to healthy food remains unattainable for most because of unemployment issues, therefore, #Helpafriendout fulfils an important service in the Soshanguve community. 

Last month the organisation launched a new project called #Makemyhoodclean. The project attracted the attention of the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, who backs the initiative.  

There are two project sites where the #Healpafriendout team plants vegetables which are then sold. Youth in the area are hired to help farm, based on their interest and passion for farming. 

Food supply futures 

The trio see themselves and the organisation growing into the food produce supply sphere. In the future, they want to supply the likes of Spar and the 70-80 Street food and vegetable vendors in their neighbourhood. 

“Growing up, I used to help my grandparents with their small garden where we grew flowers, cabbage and spinach. That’s where I developed an interest in farming,” explains Moroba. 

He went on to say that he sees himself being successful in farming, but also making others fall in love with farming.  

Matjene’s interest in agriculture started in primary school when he entered a competition for best school garden, and Nkuna’s foray into farming was borne from necessity – seeing the lack of food and malnutrition issues in his neighbourhood spurred him into action. 

Moroba, Matjene and Nkuna all say they have much to learn about the art of farming, but they believe their passion drives them. – Health-e News 

The post #Helpafriendout: Community-led project centres nutrition needs appeared first on Heala.

Community advocacy group Amandla.mobi is calling for an increase in the child support grant, and are pleased with the President’s announcement — bolstering social support and economic relief in the country. Amandla.mobi has advocated for an increase since the beginning of the national lockdown, and believes that it’s a step in the right direction.

“As pointed out by many experts — grants are the simplest, quickest and most effective way to get cash to millions of poor households that will otherwise face food insecurity and debilitating poverty,” says Koketso Moeti, executive director of the organisation.

The campaign involved several role players such as the Children’s Institute, economists and various other stakeholders — and was informed by a survey, which helped draft up a community response plan. Moeti says that the top priority which emerged was the need to get some form of income to people.

“It was run in five languages, to ensure that those most impacted participate. And that’s where over 80% of the campaign supporters came from and the demands and signatures were sent to the President, as well as people undertaking online tactics and sharing reasons why they support the campaign,” she says.

Leanne Jansen-Thomas from Equal Education (EE) says that the increase to the child support grant came about due to pressure on the government from civil society organisations.

“The increase on the child support grant is a massive relief; and it is owing to sustained pressure on the government from civil society organisations, coalitions and academics. The child support grant must however pay for a myriad of needs for children — not just food,” says Jansen-Thomas.

Food parcels need strict monitoring

President Ramaphosa also announced that 250 000 food parcels would be distributed across the country over the next two weeks. Both Amandla.mobi and Equal Education want these to be properly managed to ensure that they reach deserving households; more especially that it reaches children.

“It will be important to monitor all relief measures undertaken; even beyond food parcels, to ensure that they get to the right beneficiaries and serve the purpose intended. As we know, procurement is where a lot of corruption happens. Over and above that, transparency will be essential,” says Moeti.

EE is currently engaging with the Basic Education Department and Parliament’s Committee on Basic Education and Social Development, in order to “access accurate information on how many households are receiving food parcels and how the existing national school nutrition programme budget is being used,” says Jansen-Thomas. This information is then significant, because it helps the organisation make an assessment about the food security of all children.

Food security is intersectional

There’s a coalition of organisations calling for the Department of Basic Education and Social Development to ensure that that over 9 million children who ordinarily benefit from the school nutrition programme continue to receive food relief, if they are not benefiting from the food relief from the department, or SASSA.

The organisation is also calling for the following to be implemented:

• nutritious food to be subsidised;
• water provision in communities without access to be prioritised;
• decent and safe living conditions for the homeless;
• a plan of care for prisoners;
• respecting the moratorium on evictions;
• a proper education plan that leaves no child behind; and,
• price control of basic food items

— Health-e News

For more information on Covid-19 in South Africa, you can call the toll-free line on 0800 029 999, or you can send a message that says “Hi” on WhatsApp to the number 060 012 3456. You can also visit the SA Coronavirus website.  

The post #LockdownSA: Increased child support grant is a ‘massive relief appeared first on Heala.