A nutrition expert has disclosed that up to 65 percent of Ghanaians cannot afford healthy meals
Professor Anna Lartey, a nutrition expert at the University of Ghana, has disclosed that up to 65 percent of adult Ghanaians cannot afford healthy meals.
According to a report by graphic.com.gh. Prof Anna Lartey made this known at a recent sensitisation workshop in Accra titled “Beyond the Dialogues: Tracking Ghana’s Commitments to Transform Its Food Systems.”
“Up to 65 per cent of adult Ghanaians are unable to afford a healthy diet daily. The recommended healthy diets consist of half a plate of vegetables and fruit, a quarter of a plate of carbohydrates, and another quarter of protein,” she noted.
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Prof Lartey said healthy foods are often more expensive than “junk” foods, which drives many people to choose the latter.
She pointed out that fruits and vegetables cost significantly more than sugar-laced drinks and fast foods, which are widely available on almost every street corner.
She warned that such unhealthy eating habits have serious consequences, citing them as major contributors to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and other health issues in Ghana.
According to Prof Lartey, who also serves as Project Co-Principal Investigator, the food environment heavily influences food choices, and the current environment does not support healthy options.
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She stressed that, “Ghana made several commitments to improve its food systems to ensure better health outcomes. We have had the dialogues; now it is time for action. We must ask ourselves what steps are being taken to fulfil these commitments.”
The workshop was organised by the University of Ghana School of Public Health, with support from the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and the Ghana Statistical Services (GSS), the report said.
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