The Generation-H project builds on successful international projects that have been initiated and carried out by Generation-H consortium members. For the last few years the members of the consortium have done works on NCDs among African populations both in Africa and in the diaspora in Europe as indicated below.
Drivers of Food Choice
The DFC Dietary Transitions in Ghanaian Cities project examined the factors in social and physical food environments of two Ghanaian cities (Ho and Accra) associated with the consumption of energy-dense nutrient-poor (EDNP) foods and beverages over the reproductive life course. It also employed a number of methods, including those based on the INFORMAS (International Networkfor Food and Obesity/NCDs Research, Monitoring and Action Support) Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) and the Community Readiness Model, to leverage evidence for context-specific gender interventions and policies to promote healthy food consumption among women and adolescent girls in Ghana.
Website: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/research/dietary-transitions-african-cities-promote-nutritious-diets
MEALS4NCDs
Like many countries in Africa, Ghana is experiencing an increase in obesity and nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Current statistics for Ghana indicate that annually, NCDs account for about 43% of all deaths. It has long been recognized that the physical and social environments – in which we live, work, and eat are critical determinants of health. More recently, there has been a greater focus on the food environment (FE) as a key determinant of health. We do know that unhealthy food environment drives unhealthy diets; unhealthy diet is one of four main risk factors for NCDs. Code-named "MEALS4NCDs Project", this project provides Measurement Evaluation, Accountability and Leadership Support (MEALS) for NCDs prevention in Ghana and beyond. The project focused on measuring and supporting public sector actions that create healthy food marketing and food provisioning environments for children and adolescents in Ghana, with the aim to prevent obesity nutrition-related NCDs.
Website:https://www.meals4ncds.org/en/
Global RECAP
The overarching goal of this project is to identify context-relevant priority actions that promote healthy food consumption patterns and facilitate knowledge translation pathways to prevent nutrition-related NCDs in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The project will mainly adapt methodological approaches developed by the International Network for Food and Obesity NCDs Research Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS), a global network of public-interest organizations and researchers that monitors, benchmarks, and supports public and private sector actions to increase healthy food environments. More than 35 countries have implemented various INFORMAS approaches, some funded by IDRC. The project will also estimate the economic costs of policy inaction and the political and legal feasibility of potential policy and regulatory interventions for improving food environments.
This project will be funded through the Global Regulatory and Fiscal Capacity Building Program, a multi-agency parallel-funding partnership between IDRC, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the OPEC Fund for International Development, the International Development Law Organization, and the World Health Organization.
FEP-Action
The project addresses Kenya's growing double burden of malnutrition due to unhealthy food environments and a lack of regulatory policies. Despite this, the government has shown commitment to change through collaboration between health and agriculture ministries. The project aims to capitalize on this momentum by developing evidence-based policies for healthier food environments. It will focus on implementing four key policies: food labeling, public procurement, regulation of food marketing to children, and fiscal policies.
Impact evaluations and research will support the implementation of food labeling and public procurement policies, while other policies will be modeled for effectiveness. The project will also explore pathways to change for the entire policy bundle. A multi-stakeholder coalition, funded by IDRC and the Rockefeller Foundation, will drive the project, leveraging existing infrastructure for scalability and sustainability.
EU DEDIPAC
The DEDIPAC Knowledge Hub (KH) aims to investigate the determinants of dietary, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors and translate this knowledge into more effective strategies for promoting a healthy lifestyle. It is a multidisciplinary consortium involving scientists from 46 research centers across Europe. The work is organized into three Thematic Areas (TAs): TA 1 focuses on harmonizing methods for research, surveillance, and evaluation of interventions and policies; TA 2 delves into understanding determinants across different life stages and vulnerable groups; TA 3 evaluates public health interventions. Involvement is primarily in TA 1, led by Prof. Pieter van ‘t Veer, where we contribute to two specific tasks. Task 1.1.2 involves studying sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake in the NQplus study, examining demographic determinants of intake using different assessment methods. Task 1.1.3 aims to develop an integrated smartphone-based assessment method for diet, physical activity, and their determinants, with a pilot study planned in Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands.
EU RODAM Study
The RODAM study assesses the health and wellbeing of Ghanaian residents in Ghana and Europe and follows them up over time. With this unique approach the RODAM study attempts to unravel the causes of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors among African migrants in Europe and non-migrants sub-Saharan Africa.
Information on the first wave of data collection (2012-2015) can be found under baseline, and on the second wave under follow-up (2019-2021). Find the latest RODAM updates on our news page, view our recent publications on the publications page or find out health information material here.
Website: http://www.rod-am.eu/