ABUJA: Health experts have raised concerns over a surge in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension across Nigeria.
Dr Emmanuel Sokpo, Country Director of the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), highlighted diet-related risk factors, including excessive salt intake and limited public awareness of nutritional content, as key drivers of cardiovascular and other NCDs.
He stressed the need for healthier food environments and accessible nutrition information to support informed choices and improve public health outcomes.
Dr Jerome Mafeni, NHED Technical Director, warned of a silent epidemic of NCDs, noting that lifestyle choices, poor diet, and environmental exposure were major contributors.
He highlighted excessive salt in Nigerian meals, high sugar consumption, and trans fats from fried and processed foods as critical risks leading to hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
Mafeni called for stronger public awareness, supportive policies, and improved food labelling systems.
NHED is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health and regulatory agencies to promote clear front-of-pack nutrition labelling to guide healthier choices nationwide.
