INSLA Organizes Capacity Building Workshop for CSOs and Media
The Institute of Leadership and Development ( INSLA) has organised a capacity building workshop for members of the media and some selected Civil Society Organisations ( CSOs ) working on health issues and how to eliminate Trans-Fatty Acid ( TFA) foods in Ghana.
The workshop brought together participants from the cross-section of the inky fraternity and Civil Society stalwarts to brainstorm on the roadmap that needs to be adopted in Ghana’s quest to eliminate TFA .
The capacity building workshop, which is the 3 rd of its kind was to also build on the success of the previous two meetings and deliberate on the needed action that needs to be taken by policymakers and regulators.
In his address, Mr. Issah Ali, the INSLA Project Director pointed out that they as an organisation have done a lot in their quest to educate and create awareness on the dangers of TFA foods amongst the people.
He indicated that Ghana needs to push for the elimination of the canker. According to him, media practitioners and persons of Civil Society Organisations have important roles to play in ensuring the objectives of the campaign.
Mr. Issah Ali called for the formulation and enforcement of a national policy that will bar industries from producing and selling food items that contain Trans-fatty Acids in Ghana, adding that TFAs are very dangerous to human health which need to be totally eliminated or reduced to the bearable minimal.
He among other things stated that his outfit had chalked a lot of successes since the launch of the program. Consultative meetings had been held with sister CSOs, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on awareness creation and education as some of the projects undertaken by INSLA as part of the efforts to eliminate TFA in Ghana by October 2023.
On his part, Mr. Benjamin Anabila, the INSLA Director raised concern about the kinds of food products that are consumed by the people which are noted for their health effect on human health.
He disclosed that INSLA in collaboration with other organisations has done tremendously well to create awareness on the negative impacts of TFA foods by engaging with policymakers, regulators , researchers and academia.
He appealed to media organisations to give his outfit the platform to disseminate information about TFA to the people. “We need a platform to enable us create awareness and educate the populace about the negative impacts of the canker,” he added.
Participants had proposed for a law to be passed by parliament to force and back the Foods and Drugs Authority (FDA) to come up with laws that will ensure food products are free from TFA or reduced to the bearable level.