HEALA

02/09/2026

As we come to the end of Women’s Month, the message remains clear: empowerment begins with the ability to make informed choices.

In this message, Anthony Mafume from our friends at Black Sash speaks out and reminds us why Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPL) matter.

Women are often responsible for making food choices for themselves and their families. But confusing packaging and misleading claims can make those choices harder.

Simple, clear warning labels can change that.

Let women choose. Let women know what’s in their food. Ratify Front-of-Pack Warning Labels now.

30/08/2026

Women have a right to choose. But choice only works when healthier choices are actually possible.

Diabetes is now the leading underlying natural cause of death among women in South Africa, accounting for about 7.5% of all female deaths.

More than 16,000 women die from diabetes every year.

We cannot talk about empowering women while ignoring the food environment contributing to this crisis.

The Health Promotion Levy (HPL) is one tool government can use to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks and protect people from diet-related diseases.

South Africa introduced the HPL in 2018, but its real value has been eroded over time. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 20% tax on sugary drinks to reduce consumption meaningfully.

Women deserve more than the illusion of choice.

They deserve a food environment that makes the healthier choice easier, more affordable and more accessible.

Strengthen the HPL. Protect the health of women and girls. Empower them with a real choice.

29/08/2026

LET WOMEN CHOOSE. MAKE THE HEALTHIER CHOICE EASIER.

Meet Rebecca Phura from Leslie, Mpumalanga.

After learning about Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPL) through our roadshow, Rebecca found that the labels made it easy to understand what is in the food she buys, and easier to make a healthier choice.

That’s exactly why FOPL matters.

Instead of trying to decode complicated nutrition information, clear warning labels can help consumers quickly see when a product is high in sugar, salt or saturated fat.

Women make decisions about what their families eat every day. They deserve information that is clear, simple and easy to understand.

FOPL doesn't choose for women. It gives women the information to choose.

Let women choose. Ratify FOPL now.

👉 Read more about our FOPL roadshows: https://heala.org/heala-roadshow/

28/08/2026

LET WOMEN CHOOSE. GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION THEY NEED.

Meet Gladness Seatse, 48, who lives with HIV.

Gladness’ story is a reminder that protecting health means looking beyond a single condition. In South Africa, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for almost 60% of all deaths, surpassing the combined mortality of HIV, tuberculosis and other communicable diseases.

Women are particularly affected. Nearly 60% of South African women are overweight or obese, contributing to high rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

So what can help?

Information.

Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPL) give women clear, easy-to-understand information about products high in sugar, salt and saturated fat, helping them make informed choices for themselves and their families.

FOPL doesn't tell women what to buy. It gives women the power to choose.

Let women choose. Ratify FOPL now.

27/08/2026

LET WOMEN CHOOSE. GIVE WOMEN THE INFORMATION THEY NEED.

For women living with conditions like diabetes and hypertension, knowing what is in the food they buy can be a matter of health.

Meet Thandi Grace Phiri from Ka-Nyamazana, Mpumalanga, who lives with diabetes and hypertension. For Thandi, Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPL) are important because they make it easier to identify products high in sugar, salt and saturated fat - information she needs when making everyday food choices.

And the stakes are high. Women with Type 2 diabetes face nearly tenfold increase in the likelihood of developing severe heart disease compared with women without diabetes.

Women deserve clear, simple information, not confusing labels.

FOPL can help put that information where women need it: on the front of the package.

Let women choose. Ratify FOPL now.

26/08/2026

LET WOMEN CHOOSE. GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION TO CHOOSE.

South African women make decisions about what their families eat every day. But do they have the information they need to make informed choices?

For 31-year-old Mabunthle Lekhetha from Ntuzuma B in KwaZulu-Natal, the answer became clearer after receiving training on Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPL) through our roadshow.

Now, she knows exactly what to look for, and how easy FOPL makes it to understand when a product is high in sugar, salt or saturated fat.

That’s what FOPL can do: put simple, clear information where consumers can see it, so women can make informed choices for themselves and their families.

HEALA embarked on roadshows across Gauteng, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal to raise awareness about the importance of FOPL and invite South Africans to add their voices to the call for the National Department of Health to protect our health.

Let women choose. Let’s give them the information they need.

👉 Read more about our roadshows: https://heala.org/heala-roadshow/

26/08/2026

The food environment is stacked against South African consumers.

Our supermarket shelves are increasingly filled with cheap, highly processed foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat.

At the same time, consumers are expected to navigate confusing labels and make sense of complicated nutrition information, often in the few seconds they have while shopping.

That is not a fair choice.

Front-of-Pack Warning Labels shift some of that burden away from consumers by making important nutrition information clear and visible at the point of purchase.

People shouldn’t need to be nutrition experts to know when a product is high in unhealthy nutrients.

Clear labels. Informed choices. Healthier food environments. Ratify R3337 now.

Read more: https://heala.org/front-packaging/

25/08/2026

South Africa’s NCD crisis is a women’s issue, and Front-of-Pack Warning Labels are part of the solution.

Women carry a disproportionate burden of overweight and obesity in South Africa, increasing their risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers.

As mothers, caregivers and household decision-makers, women make countless food choices for themselves and their families. But making healthier choices shouldn’t mean navigating confusing labels or decoding complicated nutrition information.

Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPL) provide a simple solution: clear warnings that help women identify products high in sugar, salt and saturated fat in seconds.

This Women’s Month, supporting women’s health means giving women the information they need to make informed choices.

Let women choose. Ratify R3337 now.

👉 Read more: https://bit.ly/4hNHBoJ

Front-of-Pack Warning Labels are a practical, evidence-based public health intervention. They are designed to help busy, budget-conscious consumers make informed decisions in seconds, while encouraging manufacturers to produce healthier foods

24/08/2026

A woman’s health doesn’t stop with her.

When she becomes sick, the effects can ripple through the entire household, affecting income, caregiving, children and the family’s future.

That is why protecting women’s health means changing the environments that shape their health in the first place.

We cannot tell women to “make healthier choices” while allowing unhealthy products to be aggressively marketed to them and their children.

Front-of-pack warning labels can help families identify products high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats.

Marketing restrictions can help protect children and families from the constant promotion of unhealthy products.

This Women’s Month, let’s stop asking women to carry the burden alone.

Protect the woman. Protect the family. Protect the future.

21/08/2026

When parents seek advice about feeding their babies, they should be able to trust that the information they receive puts their baby’s health first.

But research presented during HEALA’s World Breastfeeding Week webinar showed how commercial milk formula (CMF) companies can use healthcare professionals as a pathway to reach families.

In South Africa, 1 in 5 women have been advised to formula feed by a health professional, while 1 in 4 have received a brand recommendation from a health professional. Almost half of health professionals surveyed had direct contact with CMF company representatives.

Marketing can take many forms, from sponsored events and educational materials to scientific-sounding claims that make formula appear equivalent or superior to breastfeeding without sufficient evidence.

This is why South Africa’s R991 regulations matter. They are designed to protect breastfeeding and limit aggressive commercial promotion of formula and complementary foods.

At HEALA, we believe parents deserve accurate, impartial information, not marketing disguised as healthcare advice.

Protecting breastfeeding means protecting families from commercial influence.