With non-communicable diseases (NCDs) accounting for a growing share of deaths in Nigeria, health experts and stakeholders have called for a holistic and multisectoral approach to address the rising burden.
The call came during a one-day capacity-building workshop for journalists organised by the Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN), where speakers emphasised that fragmented or narrow interventions have failed to stem the rise in NCD-related mortality.
They stressed the need for comprehensive strategies that address lifestyle, environment, healthcare systems, and public education to effectively reduce the burden.
Delivering a keynote lecture titled: ‘Understanding the Many Factors Behind NCDs’, Dr Ajibola Arewa, stated that NCDs contributed about 24 per cent of Nigeria’s total death toll in 2011 and rose to 29 per cent in 2021, marking a 21 per cent increase in nine years.
He warned that this upward trend may continue if underlying causes are not urgently addressed.
Arewa described the NCD crisis as multidimensional, attributing it not to a single source but to a complex mix of lifestyle choices, dietary habits, environmental factors, and systemic healthcare challenges. He cited Nigeria’s doctor-patient ratio of 1:5,000, far below the WHO’s recommended 1:600, as a major constraint.
He questioned the effectiveness of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes pushed by international organisations such as Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPA), describing their motives as “personal, subjective and lacking in evidence.”
He argued that while sugar plays a role, stronger factors such as poor lifestyle, alcohol consumption, inactivity, and genetic predisposition contribute more significantly to the NCDs burden.
“Solely taxing sugar is a malicious approach as sugar itself is not the problem; it’s the overuse and absence of regulation,” he said. He called for more holistic solutions such as nutrition education, transparent food labelling, and the promotion of healthy alternatives.
Arewa recommended the strengthening of primary and preventive healthcare, tax incentives for health-promoting policies, and financial support for small businesses transitioning to healthier options.
BJAN President, Mr Daniel Obi, said the association was committed to using storytelling, perception management, and advocacy to drive positive change in health. He noted that greater impact is made when media efforts are directed towards causes that improve lives, especially in critical areas like health.
He urged journalists to report health issues accurately and sensitively and appealed to organisations to invest in journalist training to enhance their understanding of socio-economic issues.
Speaking on ‘Evidence-Based Data in Health Policy’, Dr Yvonne Olaloku, underscored the role of data in shaping effective and equitable health policies. She explained that data helps identify the nature of health problems and ensures that interventions do not exclude any group.
She emphasised the need for accountability and transparency in policymaking, adding that collaboration between government and other stakeholders is essential for generating, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based policies.
A surgeon, Dr Godswill Iboma, who spoke on “Lifestyle and Environment in NCDs Prevention”, identified lifestyle and environmental factors as major drivers of NCDs.
He advocated modifications such as avoiding tobacco use, promoting public smoking bans, encouraging physical activity, reducing salt and alcohol consumption, drinking adequate water, and improving stress and mental health management.
Iboma also highlighted the need for environmental interventions, including support for clean energy initiatives, proper waste management, and air quality improvement, as critical steps towards reducing exposure to NCD risk factors.
