Ghana urges balanced policies and industry collaboration to combat rising diabetes risk

Ghanaian stakeholders call for practical, regulated approaches to reduce sugar intake and improve diets amid rising diabetes prevalence, emphasising industry cooperation and public health strategies.

The Association of Ghana Industries has called for closer co-operation between government, business and other stakeholders to improve diets and address rising concern over diabetes and other food-related health conditions in Ghana. At a stakeholder discussion on low- and no-calorie sweeteners in Accra, AGI president Kofi Nsiah-Poku said many Ghanaian meals are heavily tilted towards carbohydrates because staple foods are usually cheaper and easier to obtain than protein, vegetables and other more nutritious options. He argued that policy should focus on practical, affordable changes that ordinary people can follow, rather than measures that could push healthy food further out of reach.

Nsiah-Poku also said the food industry was open to debate on low-calorie sweeteners as one possible way to cut sugar intake, provided they are properly regulated and used as part of a broader balance in the diet. He urged manufacturers to disclose ingredients clearly and, where relevant, the quantities used. Separately, Ghanaian health data underline why the issue has become more urgent: a systematic review indexed on PubMed found diabetes prevalence among adults in Ghana at 6.46%, with physical inactivity, family history and older age among the main risk factors.

Government officials at the meeting echoed the call for prevention and screening. Mavis Sakyi, acting director of public health and health promotion at the Ministry of Health, said Ghanaians should adopt healthier lifestyles, eat more fruit and vegetables, cut salt and free sugar, and swap saturated fats for unsaturated fats. She said the country’s primary care drive is meant to bring screening into communities rather than wait for patients to arrive at hospital with advanced disease.

Dzeinyo Akafia, head of product certification at the Ghana Standards Authority, said rules for low- and no-calorie sweeteners should protect public health without creating unnecessary barriers for trade or business. Her comments reflected a wider push in Ghana for evidence-based food policy and stronger consultation, with the National Development Planning Commission also urging government and industry to work more closely on nutrition rules. In a separate AGI position, the group has argued for higher duties on imported sugary products, saying any response to excess sugar consumption must balance affordability, public health and local industrial interests.