Healthy Food Environments are Possible and Uganda’s Youth Are Leading the Way

Launch of the CEFROHT Youth Advocates for Healthy Diets

CEFROHT launches the CEFROHT Youth Advocates for Healthy Diets, a dynamic and passionate movement of young leaders committed to transforming Uganda’s food environment and protecting the right to adequate food. This youth-led campaign has brought together university students, from schools of law, public health, nutrition, and emerging young professionals who are concerned about the rising burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Uganda.

70% of Uganda’s population are the youth. The youth are bearing the consequences of an increasingly unhealthy food environment, one dominated by ultra-processed foods high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats. In response, our Youth Advocates have stepped forward with a unified voice and a bold mission: to demand strong, evidence-based nutrition policies that put public health before profit.

Youth-Led Campaign: “Let’s Talk Healthy Diets”

At the center of their efforts is a nationwide youth campaign calling on the Ministry of Health to urgently adopt and operationalize the Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) for Uganda. The NPM is a scientifically grounded tool that sets thresholds/ limits for salt, sugar, and fats and lays the foundation for life-saving policies, including:

• Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FoPWL) to help consumers make informed choices,

Restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods to children, ensuring that the youth are protected from the aggressive marketing of the unhealthy foods that cause diet related NCDs.

In the spirit of public interest and the right to adequate food, the Youth Advocates are amplifying a simple but powerful message: Ugandans deserve access to clear, truthful information about the foods they consume and the NPM is the tool that will make this possible.

Youth at the Frontlines of Change

Through the campaign, the Youth Advocates are mobilizing nationwide support and urging decision-makers to prioritize public health. Their activism reflects CEFROHT’s belief in meaningful youth participation, where young people are not just beneficiaries of policy, but co-creators of a healthier, fairer future.

The launch of this youth platform marks a pivotal moment in Uganda’s fight for safe and nutritious food environments and stronger food governance. As the campaign gains momentum, the Youth Advocates are committed to working collaboratively with ministries, civil society, academia, and communities to ensure that Uganda adopts the NPM and advances national food and nutrition policies that save lives.