ADOPTING A HEALTH IN ALL POLICY APPROACH Essay

Document Type:Essay

Subject Area:Health Care

Document 1

Social determinants are mainly associated with these diseases. The root cause of NCD's is unhealthy lifestyle caused either by poverty hence lack of health services or expensive unhealthy eating due to a higher social-economic status. Unhealthy Sugar-Sweetened Beverages(SBB) pose a huge health risk to acquiring NCD’s. They increase calories in the body that are unhealthy and unnecessary. A method that has been used over the past few years to tackle the problem is fiscal measures, which has been implemented at a population level to improve dietary intake and control NCD’s. They are as a result of negative consequences of unhealthy dietary that are preventable. Previously NCD's have been linked with high-income individuals as well as those people with a higher social economic status.

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However recent studies show a different picture of the trend. Even the middle-income individuals are being affected. Urbanization is a major trend that can be attributed to the prevalence of NCD's. It's however important to consider the fact that not it’s not the high volume of SSB’s that lead to NCD’s but it’s the excessive consumption of sugars within SSB’s. It's therefore important that these health challenges are addressed and this requires a comprehensive program where action can be implemented at national and local levels to deal with the escalating effects of Non-communicable diseases. Setting strategic plans for prevention and control of NCD’S is essential. Adopting a health in all policy approach and implementing tax policies on sugary drinks is a policy that will help in the control of NCD's.

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Implementation of a tax policy that deals with sweetened beverages and their unnecessary sugar levels will help limit the level of unhealthy sugars consumed and hence promote control of NCD’s. An increase in the price of SSB’s (maybe 10-20%) may in a tremendous way affect production as well as consumption patterns and therefore reducing the risk of acquiring NCD's. It’s important to design a selective health-related tax, whereby a consideration should be made on whether to apply the tax on the whole product or on the specific nutrients in the product such as sugar quantity. Specific tax rates should be adjusted annually considering inflation. Moreover, a number of tax rate options can be explored. For instance, a policy involving an SSB levy rate based on sugar content more clearly and directly promotes the health policy objectives.

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