CAPPA, HEALTH EXPERTS, OTHERS TASK JOURNALISTS ON CAMPAIGN AGAINST TRANS-FATTY ACIDS IN NIGERIA

REPORTER: CHUKWUBUIKE MADU

Recently 18 journalists and some civil society groups from the South East Nigeria converged on Enugu for a training on Trans-Fat Reporting organised by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA).

At the event, the Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ike Obi, noted that Trans-fatty acids were responsible for some cardiovascular diseases.

The Health Commissioner urged journalists and the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to sustain current advocacy against industrial Trans-Fat oils to check the spate of cardiovascular diseases.

Dr. Obi while acknowledging journalists as critical stakeholders in health education and awareness, appealed to them to ensure they often get correct, factual and clear health information that would benefit the public.
 
He advised journalists not allow medical professionals becloud them with lots of technical health terminologies but always learn to ask the health practitioners to break the words in simple ordinary language meant for understanding of the ordinary man.
 
“Journalists should try as much as possible to simplify medical terms for clear understanding of the layman. Accurate information passed in an easily understandable language will ensure that misconceptions and misinterpretation are checked in health reporting,” he advised.

Dr. Obi also advised the citizens of the country to be mindful of what they eat and check the quality of oil they use to reduce the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria.

The Enugu State Health Commissioner, commended CAPPA and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for their efforts in sensitizing the citizens to health issues.

He pledged the collaboration of the state government with the agencies to safe guarding the health of the nation.

Also, the Technical Adviser on TFAs with Network for Health Equity and Development, Dr Jerome Mafeni, lauded CAPPA and its partners on the sustenance of the advocacy against TFAs as well as mobilising the media to join actively in the fight.

Dr. Mafeni advocated the earlier passage of the oil and fats regulation proposed by NAFDAC so that the dangers inherent in people consuming trans fatty acids would be addressed urgently.

“Trans fatty acids are components of oils and fats in a lot of foods we eat that are industrially produced through a process where hydrogen is introduced into the vegetable oils to make these oils to become longer lasting in terms of their self life, to have higher frying temperatures, so that when foods are produced, they come out crippsy and generally tastier.

“And because of these, many of the foods that we consume contain high quantities of these trans fatty acids, which are poisons to the body because the body cannot handle them the normal way it handles other foods and through these, people become susceptible to health harms.

“So they can contact diseases of the heart- hypertension; diseases of the kidney; diseases of the pancreas, they have diabetes, gouts, arthritis and sometimes they have cancer.

Dr. Mafeni, however, pointed out that Trans-fatty acids could occur naturally but noted that the danger of such natural ones was often of lesser effect to those produced in the factory.

“I also have to state that Trans-fatty acids occur naturally. They exist in animal foods, especially ruminants, especially goats, sheep, cows etc. But the quantity of trans-fatty acid that occur naturally in animals is small compared to the one produced industrially,” the health expert stated.

Earlier, the Executive Director of CAPPA, Mr. Olufemi Akinbode, explained that the workshop was to x-ray the dangers of TFAs and equip journalists with necessary knowledge and stakeholders’ contacts that would help enrich their reportage.

Mr. Akinbode stated that the aim of the training was for journalists to be part of agents that would change the narrative.

“We want journalists to use their media advocacy and awareness to influence policy makers and government regulators on making laws and health regulations to check the industrial TFAs.

“Journalists are expected to use their reportage to create awareness of the dangers of TFAs on the people and we achieve appreciable reduction in use of TFAs oil in our meals so that our people will remain healthy,” he said.

The Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the National Agency for Foods and Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Eva Edwards, explained that the agency had produced Drafts Fats and Oil Regulation 2022″ which would help regulate production and use oils use in food production in Nigeria to enhance public safety.

She however, noted that the Federal Ministry of Health was yet to gazette the regulation, which when approved and gazetted would have the force of the law.

One of the sponsors of the training and Nigeria’s In-Country Coordinator, Mrs. Joy Amafah, Global Health Advocacy Incubation (GHAI), who spoke on the topic “Trans-Fat Regulation as a Public Health Emergency: Beyond the Rhetoric,” emphasized on the reason why the fats and oils regulation must be gazetted.

She sighted this as the permanent solution for relevant government agencies to be able to monitor and have control over the oils produced for the populace to consume.

She noted that the media should be in the centre of advocacy for gazatting of the regulation.

According to her “there is no way you can run a successful campaign meant to influence the attitude of the public without using the media. 

“I look forward for a successful engagement and outcome on TFAs education and advocacy,” Mrs. Amafah stated.