Non-communicable diseases: Laws, legislation, and reforms as pathways towards managing non-communicable diseases in Africa

• The rate of NCDs in Africa is high. • Women in Africa are disproportionately affected by NCDs. • African cultural practices increase NCDs among women and girls in Africa. • African state laws often contradict and condone human rights abuses. • A need to review African laws and customs that increase NCD risk for women and girls. The United Nations’ sustainable development agenda was initiated to encourage proactive efforts in sustainable living. Since its inception, several other initiatives have been introduced to ensure the realization of these goals. Many of these initiatives recommend a context-specific approach that includes national legislation for sustainable living. Africa lags in the realization of these goals, particularly in the areas of gender equality and good health and wellbeing. This article is a perspective discourse that adopts an analytical method to emphasize and support the link between societal culture and health. It addresses African laws and cultural practices that promote discrimination against girls and women, increasing their susceptibility to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). The focus is on African laws and cultural practices in South Africa and Nigeria. The duplicity and contradictions between state laws and customary laws in these countries are discussed, highlighting how they appear to condone the violation of girls’ and women’s rights and put them at risk of NCDs. The article concludes by recommending legislations and reviews of African countries national laws and cultural practices and as means of reducing the higher rates of NCDs among women. African governments must ensure their commitment to the protection of human rights and eradicate cultural practices and modify laws that could increase susceptibility to the development of NCDs among girls and women.