Malawi News

Increase Taxes on Drinks to Control Consumption, MHEN Tells Govt

Increase Taxes on Drinks to Control Consumption, MHEN Tells Govt

As Malawi joins the rest of the world in commemorating the World Diabetes Day tomorrow, Thursday, the Executive Director for Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) George Jobe has asked Government to increase taxes on sweet soft drinks to control consumption.

George Jobe: MHEN Executive Director

Jobe said this after the ministry of health p singled out unhealthy eating habit, inactiveness, alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking as some of are the major causes diabetes in the country.

Jobe said, instead Government should lower the price of water so that people should be drinking more water than these drinks.

Meanwhile Ministry of Health Deputy Spokesperson, Loness Gwazanga Chowawa says the 2016-2017 survey revealed that two percent of the country’s adult population has diabetes and half of those with diabetes have hypertension.