How do publicly procured school meals programmes in sub-Saharan Africa improve nutritional outcomes for children and adolescents: a mixed-methods systematic review.

Objective: This review aimed to (i) synthesise evidence of the impact of publicly procured school meals programmes on nutritional outcomes of children/adolescents (5-18 years) in sub-Saharan Africa and (ii) identify challenges and facilitators to implementing effective school meals programmes.

Design: Mixed-methods systematic review ( 7 databases). Nutritional outcomes assessed were anthropometrics (underweight, stunting, wasting, overweight/obesity), micronutrient deficiencies, food consumed and food environment.

Making food-related health taxes palatable in sub-Saharan Africa: lessons from Ghana.

Amidst high burden of infectious diseases, undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are predicted to become the leading cause of death in Ghana by 2030. NCDs are driven, to a large extent, by unhealthy food environments. Concerned, the Ghana Ministry of Health (MOH) has since 2012 sought to garner the support of all to address this challenge.

"Some are healthy and others not": Characterization of vended food products by Accra-based food retailers.

Background And Objectives: Increasing the availability of healthy foods within food retail outlets can improve consumers' food environments. Such actions or inactions by food retailers may affect people's food purchasing and consumption behavior. This study explored Accra-based food retailers' perceptions and appreciation of "healthiness of food" as a concept.

Advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages around primary and junior high schools in Ghana's most urbanized and populous region.

Introduction: The advertising of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods and beverages is a common feature in obesogenic food environments. Such advertising, within and around settings where children live, learn, and play, negatively affects their food acquisition and consumption. We examined the extent and nature of food and beverage advertising around primary and junior high schools in Ghana's most populous and urbanized region, Greater Accra.

Perspective: Food Environment Research Priorities for Africa-Lessons from the Africa Food Environment Research Network.

Over the last 2 decades, many African countries have undergone dietary and nutrition transitions fueled by globalization, rapid urbanization, and development. These changes have altered African food environments and, subsequently, dietary behaviors, including food acquisition and consumption. Dietary patterns associated with the nutrition transition have contributed to Africa's complex burden of malnutrition-obesity and other diet-related noncommunicable diseases (DR-NCDs)-along with persistent food insecurity and undernutrition.