Reducing Sugar Intake in South Africa: Learnings from a Multilevel Policy Analysis on Diet and Noncommunicable Disease Prevention

Nicole McCreedy (), Maylene Shung-King, Amy Weimann, Lambed Tatah, Clarisse Mapa-Tassou, Trish Muzenda, Ishtar Govia, Vincent Were and Tolu Oni
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Nicole McCreedy: Health Policy and Systems Division, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Maylene Shung-King: Health Policy and Systems Division, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Amy Weimann: Research Initiative for Cities Health and Equity (RICHE), Division of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Lambed Tatah: Health of Populations in Transition Research Group (HoPiT), University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé P.O. Box 812, Cameroon
Clarisse Mapa-Tassou: Health of Populations in Transition Research Group (HoPiT), University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé P.O. Box 812, Cameroon
Trish Muzenda: Research Initiative for Cities Health and Equity (RICHE), Division of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Ishtar Govia: Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica
Vincent Were: Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu 40100, Kenya
Tolu Oni: Research Initiative for Cities Health and Equity (RICHE), Division of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-19

Abstract: High sugar intake contributes to diet-related excess weight and obesity and is a key determinant for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The World Health Organization (WHO) gives specific advice on limiting sugar intake in adults and children. Yet, to what extent have policy ideas on sugar intake reduction originating at the global level found expression at lower levels of policymaking? A systematic policy document analysis identified policies issued at the African regional, South African national and Western Cape provincial levels between 2000 and 2020 using search terms related to sugar, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and NCDs. Forty-eight policy documents were included in the review, most were global and national policies and thus the focus of analysis. A policy transfer conceptual framework was applied. Global recommendations for effectively tackling unhealthy diets and NCDs advise implementing a mix of cost-effective policy options that employ a multisectoral approach. South African country-level policy action has followed the explicit global guidance, and ideas on reducing sugar intake have found expression in sectors outside of health, to a limited extent. As proposed in this paper, with the adoption of the SSB health tax and other policy measures, South Africa’s experience offers several learnings for other LMICs.

Keywords: noncommunicable diseases; NCDs; sugar; sugar-sweetened beverages; SSBs; South Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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