How We can Influence On Sleep Diabetes Problem
As the policy advisor to the Minister of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the following briefing note aims to advise on the sugar tax policy borrowing from the Mexican experience in regulating diabetes in the public health sector. By emulating on the lessons from the Mexican experience, it remains significant that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can adopt policies implementation from this kind of case study. From experience, Mexico had the highest obesity prevalence recorded over the years. (Bahijri, Jambi, & Raddadi, 2016) explains that, the Mexican government agencies incorporated national policy that aimed to enact obesity prevention measures. Emphatically, the Mexican authorities elected a panel with intent to develop recommendations on beverage intake amongst the Mexican population.
Significant agendas in the proposals aimed to promote a healthy life over a period of two years 2006-2008 respectively. In the Mexican case, it is essential to report that, government agencies enacted policies banning sodas and the regulation of unhealthy food in different learning institutions. Importantly, Mexicans managed to regulate the health sector by incorporating an additional front-package labeling system. In this regard, it is with extreme clarity to reporting the Mexican government managed to achieve their goals by harmonizing industry interests with the public health objectives. Then again, an associated success aspect included the use of active monitoring mechanisms which also assessed implementation of the regulatory policies across various government sectors.
The World Health Organization (WHO) statistics indicate that an estimated 7 million population in Saudi Arabia are diabetic. According to the WHO report, another 3 million people remain to be pre-diabetic. As a policy advisor in Saudi Arabia, these statistics have a detrimental effect on the Middle East community if not properly regulated. In the findings of the report, it was evident that risks factors for diabetes were associated with family history, age, obesity and the physical activity of various individuals. In lieu of these shocking revelations, it is of concern to note that the Saudi Arabian population still die of obesity, which is sugar related. In many ways, it is vital to consider that the obesity-related cases originate from high blood sugar levels.
According to (Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 96(3), 201) report, it was evident that age and physical activities caused Gestational Diabetes Mellitus also known as GDM. Therefore, as of now, there is need to implement a prevention program at the community level. These programs should focus to capture the risk factor groups to help prevent the GDM or Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. In this view, immediate action plans should target to promote weight reduction and encourage improved eating habits
A justification of why the country should adopt the health in all policy approach for addressing social determinants of health or Sugar tax policy as one of the policy actions to address obesity
Saudi Arabia should adopt the health in all policy approach for addressing social determinants of sugar tax policy. Technically, the adoption of the plan may have a direct effect on the consumption of sugar, especially for the Saudi population. A good argument base is that a sugar tax policy regulates the supply, production, and importation of the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax or the SSBT. According to the World Health Organization report, SSBT makes a significant composition of imported and exported beverages. For that matter, they promote obesity and sugar related diseases for the consumption population especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A ruling on the importation and exportation of the SSBTs would have a positive impact on diabetes and obesity in Saudi Arabia borrowing from a similar case of the Mexican experience. By making a meaningful assessment of the average sugar intake, it is estimated that about 3.2% form a composition of the SSB.
Importantly, teenagers consume a higher proportion of the SSBs of about 6%. In Saudi Arabia, the arising case of obesity and diabetes is associated with the luxurious and sedentary lifestyle of Saudi’s youthful population. (Popkin, 2017) suggest that, the population in major Saudi cities consume unhealthy foods associated to the SSBs in the beverages. For that matter, diabetes is a malady in Saudi Arabia with a composition of diabetes type 1 and type 2 which originates from the lack of exercise and the incidence of obesity. In this view, Saudi Arabia remains to be in dire need of a diabetes prevention program to similarly eliminate obesity.
An analysis of the Mexican experience
The Mexican experience revealed that by regulation on the public health, the decision to settle on the sugar tax policy may have a positive impact on diabetes control. Importantly, the analysis of the experience also proved that a nation bears the responsibility to regulate health risk factors in their countries. (Shiffman & Smith, 2007) opines that, the Mexican experience also hinted that food taxes have a direct impact on improving public health. By evaluating the Mexican experience, one can also learn the benefits of engaging in public health policies, especially for a growing population.
In reality, the Mexican case study has illustrated that a government based action in promoting healthy eating habits is significant. For instance, the decision to implement a Mexican national beverage policy, and the decision to enact an obesity prevention strategy have had a positive impact on the country over time.
Issues in the covered in the proposed framework
The Saudi government should enact sugar tax policies with an estimated 100% of the tax. A vital segment of the charge should cover the SSBs which directly affect the Saudi Arabian population. The implementation of the policy should include all aspect of government operation with immediate monitory bodies. (Buse, Mays, & Walt, 2012) explains that, the Saudi Government should formulate committees that act as an oversight on the implementation of these sugar tax policies. It is also the responsibility of the Saudi government to establish and enact public health plans that government on sugar import and exportation primarily in the manufacture of energy drinks. Diabetes continues to affect the Saudi Arabian population a great deal, a matter of priorities when dealing with sugar tax policies.
Five critical lessons for the Minister
According to (Thow, Downs, Mayes, & Trevena, 2018) diabetes has a detrimental effect on the growth rate of the Saudi Arabian people. It continues to claim more lives in different Saudi Arabian states. The government has an active role in regulating the SSBs as was the case with the Mexican experience. By working with other government agencies, the Saudi government can enact and implement a diabetic control program especially in the public health sector. Triggering a decline in the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks requires an increase in the retail prices of the SSBs.
Three main precautions that the minister need to consider in adopting your policy idea
By selecting the sugar tax policy, the country will survive from the sickness. Importantly, implement an all health action policy will also help regulate on other aspects of the Saudi Arabia population that could promote the occurrence of diabetes. Consequently, there is need to control the presence of diabetes and prevalence of obesity before surgeries. By investing in a taxing program of the unhealthy foods, the Saudi government will be able to reduce consumption rates of unhealthy foods, especially in the public health. Therefore, it is practical that price is an essential determinant of the food by choice. A medical point of view also reveals that sugar-sweetened beverages are a favorite target for food taxes since they only provide sugar with no desired nutrients.
Lastly, prevention is better than investing in implementing guidance frameworks on patients about healthcare especially on their swelling feet which come with associated health complications. As the policy advisor to the Minister of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I believe that the case study of Mexico may not work efficiently for Saudi Arabia. However, an attempt to incorporate and adopt the policy may reduce diabetes and other sugar-related diseases.
A reflection learnt from the policy change
A policy change is significant for the case of Saudi Arabia, especially regarding the sugar tax policies. In many ways, the Saudi government may choose to adopt the Mexican plan with the aim to improve public health. Even though it may be impossible to eliminate the cases of diabetes in Saudi Arabia due to other associated diseases like obesity, the government has an active role in implementing preventing strategies in for the population. Public health research helps in providing insights that guide on public health professionals and institutions. Borrowing from the Mexican case, it is evident that Saudi Arabia can increase resilience to public health variability and change in dealing with diabetes especially in many of its states.
