Metabolic Syndromes and Public Health Policies in Africa

Public health care in Africa is facing challenges from communicable and noncommunicable diseases and it is under pressure due to scarcity of resources. Noncommunicable diseases, especially metabolic syndrome (MetS) are now prevalent, adding to the pressure and what is to be evaluated is whether African countries have public health policy for MetS or guidelines for use of medicinal spices in the context of medical nutritional therapy. This chapter reviews literature on prevalence of MetS and public health policies on MetS in Africa. There is indication that (1) about 87% of African countries lack any form of multisectoral national policy or action plan that integrates several noncommunicable diseases (e.g., various components of MetS); and (2) medicinal herb/spice propositions and research has yet to articulate a scientific fact sheet (including dynamics and kinetics) or validation procedures that would enable a successful bureaucratic process of public health policy development. A case narrative of a medicinal spice is also presented to highlight some of the pathological biochemical bases of medical nutritional therapy, including adoptability in policy formulation.