With support for more than 70 countries, including many in Africa, Bloomberg Philanthropies is helping to enforce food policies that promote healthier eating, especially among children. Photo illustration by AI
From Nairobi to New Delhi, junk food is reshaping diets and public health at a staggering pace.
Ultra-processed foods, sugar-laden drinks, and aggressive marketing to children are fuelling a global rise in obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Africa is no exception. As consumption patterns shift and fast-food franchises multiply, public health experts are sounding the alarm.
Now, a new generation of policies is emerging to fight back — and Bloomberg Philanthropies is helping drive this movement.
With support for more than 70 countries, including many in Africa, the foundation is helping governments design and enforce food policies that promote healthier eating, especially among children.
“More than 2.5 billion adults worldwide are overweight or obese – and the global food system is largely to blame,” states the Bloomberg Philanthropies Annual Report 2024–2025.
“We support efforts to ban junk food marketing to kids, add warning labels to unhealthy foods, and raise taxes on sugary drinks.”
Africa’s Growing Nutrition Crisis
For years, malnutrition in Africa was associated with undernourishment, hunger, stunting, and wasting. But today, a parallel crisis is unfolding: overnutrition.
Urbanization, rising incomes, and changing lifestyles have fueled a surge in the consumption of ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats.
According to the World Health Organization, obesity rates are rising fastest in Africa. In South Africa, nearly 70% of women are overweight or obese.
In Kenya and Nigeria, fast food and sugary drink consumption are increasing, especially among urban youth.
This is not just a matter of personal choice. Children are exposed to thousands of food ads annually, many targeting sugary cereals, sodas, and salty snacks.
Meanwhile, food labeling is often unclear or misleading, making it hard for consumers to make informed decisions.
“Junk food marketing, deceptive food labels, and lack of regulation are fueling a global health crisis,” the report warns.
A Policy Toolbox: Labels, Taxes, and Marketing Bans
Bloomberg Philanthropies is working with national and city governments to implement evidence-based food policies that reshape the food environment. The approach focuses on three proven tools:
- Warning Labels: Clear, front-of-pack labels that alert consumers to high levels of sugar, salt, or fat.
- Marketing Restrictions: Banning advertising of unhealthy foods to children, especially on television and digital platforms.
- Sugar Taxes: Levying excise taxes on sugary beverages to reduce consumption and raise revenue for health.
“These interventions are some of the most effective ways to reduce consumption of unhealthy foods,” the report explains.
In African countries, such policies are slowly gaining traction. South Africa has already implemented a sugar tax.
Kenya has introduced regulations on food labeling and school food environments. Nigeria is discussing new excise taxes and advertising restrictions.
Bloomberg’s support includes technical assistance, advocacy training, legal expertise, and funding for public education campaigns.
Protecting Children from Harmful Marketing
One of the most urgent areas of reform is marketing to children. Kids are especially vulnerable to persuasive advertising, and in many countries, there are few restrictions on what food companies can promote.
“Companies that profit from unhealthy food and drink target children with relentless marketing,” the report states. “We’re helping countries pass laws to stop it.”
From cartoon characters on cereal boxes to viral social media campaigns, junk food marketing infiltrates homes and schools.
In response, Bloomberg Philanthropies is working with governments to adopt comprehensive marketing bans covering all media platforms and extending to in-store displays and product placement.
Chile was among the first countries to pass such laws, with support from Bloomberg.
Now, similar efforts are underway in parts of Africa and Latin America.
The Economics of Healthier Food Systems
Opponents of food policy reform often argue that taxes hurt the poor or that labeling is burdensome for industry.
But Bloomberg’s initiatives are rooted in economic evidence. Sugar taxes have been shown to reduce consumption without harming overall sales.
Clear food labels help consumers make healthier choices, especially when education levels are low.
Moreover, tax revenues from sugary drinks can be used to fund nutrition programs, public health infrastructure, or school meals.
In South Africa, for example, proceeds from the sugar tax support broader health system financing.
“We help countries design policies that are effective, equitable, and evidence-based,” the report notes.
In Africa, where diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now a top cause of death, the economic argument is increasingly urgent.
Diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension are draining health budgets and affecting working-age adults, undermining productivity and national development.
Local Advocacy, Global Solidarity
Bloomberg’s food policy work is also about building local advocacy capacity.
In Africa, the foundation supports civil society organizations, journalists, and youth advocates who are pushing for healthier school meals, tougher regulations on food marketing, and taxes on sugary drinks.
In Kenya, organizations like the Consumer Information Network have worked on warning labels and community education. In Nigeria, public health advocates are engaging with parliamentarians to support excise tax reform.
These local actors are part of a global movement — one that Bloomberg is helping to organize through knowledge-sharing platforms, fellowships, and direct grants.
“We provide funding and technical support to local organizations advocating for healthier food systems,” the report affirms.
Africa’s Window of Opportunity
Africa stands at a crossroads.
The continent can either follow the path of ultra-processed food dominance — with all its health and social costs — or chart a healthier course through policy-driven prevention.
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ food policy initiative offers a chance to avoid the mistakes made in other regions, where diet-related diseases exploded before regulatory responses caught up. In Africa, the time to act is now.
With a youthful population, rising political will, and growing civil society momentum, countries like Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria are well-positioned to lead the charge.
“Strong policies can protect children, support healthier communities, and reduce the burden of diet-related diseases,” the report concludes.
Conclusion: From Plate to Policy
Fixing food systems is not just about nutrition, tit’sabout justice. Every child deserves access to healthy food and freedom from harmful marketing.
Every parent deserves clear, honest labeling. And every country deserves the tools to protect public health without fear of corporate backlash.
Bloomberg Philanthropies is helping governments push back against industry interference and prioritize people over profits.
The food fight is far from over, but thanks to bold policy shifts and global partnerships, Africa has more allies than ever in the battle for better diets.
Source:
All information and quotes are drawn from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Annual Report 2024–2025, pages 12–13 and 43.
