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DENOSA welcomes the WHO call for countries to raise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages
Media statement
Thursday, 13 October 2016
DENOSA welcomes the WHO call for countries to raise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) warmly welcomes the call by World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday for countries to impose a tax of 20% on sugar-sweetened beverages as a way to fight and reduce non-communicable diseases like obesity and diabetes among citizens worldwide.
This move, once more, proves that South Africa is on the right path in terms of fighting diseases among its citizens, because it has already pronounced its intention to impose a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages as of April next year. This move, however, does not seem to have gone down well with retailers who sell these beverages, on mere fears that their profit margins will go down when people don’t buy these dangerously sweet beverages. DENOSA once again reiterates its full support of this move by South African government, because the growth of this country is highly dependent on the health of the role-players of its economy – the working people, most of whom get affected by non-communicable diseases.
Statistics from WHO have shown that obesity has more than doubled from 1980 to 2014, which is more than 500 million people worldwide. This is staggering and should concern any responsible retailer, unless it is hell-bent on massacring its very own customers with too much sugar.
DENOSA’s main concern is that when customers fall victims to obesity and diabetes as a result of excessively sweet beverages, they don’t become the responsibility of the retail companies that sell these beverages, but become permanent patients to nurses and a burden to governments who have to procure and provide chronic medication for their chronic non-communicable diseases.
Outpatient Departments in our health facilities are increasingly overflowing with patients, who are of working age, who collect chronic medication on a frequent basis.
DENOSA takes the health side on this issue, because health of the people is important than the profit of companies. DENOSA appeals to all South Africans to continue to try harder in looking after their health so that they achieve longevity and increased life expectancy. This is achieved by making hard choices, however, like defying the urge to drink sugared beverages instead of water when one gets thirsty.
Just as imposing tax on sugar-sweetened beverages has proven to decrease obesity tremendously, regular exercises equally keep obesity, diabetes and other lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases at bay.
End
Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA)
For more information, contact:
Sibongiseni Delihlazo, DENOSA Communications Manager
Mobile: 079 875 2663
Tel: 012 343 2315
Website: www.denosa.org.za
Facebook: DENOSA National Page
Twitter: @DENOSAORG
