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Creating an enabling environment for population-based salt reduction strategies : report of a joint technical meeting held by WHO and the Food Standards Agency, United Kingdom, July 2010
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World Health Organization (Including: UNSPECIFIED). (2010) Creating an enabling environment for population-based salt reduction strategies : report of a joint technical meeting held by WHO and the Food Standards Agency, United Kingdom, July 2010. World Health Organization.
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Official URL: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2010/9789241...
Abstract
High blood pressure is responsible for 13% of deaths globally. The risk of death from high blood pressure in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is more than double that of high-income countries. The amount of dietary salt consumed is an important determinant of blood pressure levels and of hypertension risk. This relationship is direct and progressive with no apparent threshold, and salt reduction in individuals is an important intervention in reducing blood pressure, increasing the efficacy of pharmacological therapies, and reducing the global risk of cardiovascular disease. In July 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency (FSA) jointly convened a technical meeting in London: “Creating an Enabling Environment for Population-based Salt Reduction Strategies.” The meeting provided an opportunity for detailed discussion on interventions for consumer education and reformulation of industrially produced foods to enable consumers to make appropriate choices to reduce the total sodium content of their diet.It was agreed by participants that to achieve an effective reduction of salt intake at
country level, governments need to use a multisectoral and multistakeholder
1
approach
in creating enabling environments for salt reduction policies. In order to tailor appropriate
salt reduction interventions for policy development, knowledge of both salt consumption
levels and main sources of salt in the diet is essential. In countries where commercially
processed food is the principal source of dietary salt intake, interaction with food
producers is necessary in order to develop and achieve realistic salt reduction targets.
These countries also need to implement public awareness campaigns focusing on
knowledge, attitudes and behaviours regarding salt and health. In countries where the
main source of dietary salt is added during cooking or at the table, or from foods eaten
outside the home, interventions need to be aimed at working with the catering sector as
well as educating the consumer so that public awareness is increased and can influence
changes in behaviour.
These activities involve the collaborative work of various stakeholders: WHO, national
governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector. Participants
concluded that: WHO is instrumental in providing technical support and resources to
support action. National governments need to provide leadership for the development,
implementation, and monitoring of country-specific salt reduction policies. NGOs,
professional associations, and academia also have a significant role to play in advocating
change, informing and increasing public demand for reformulated products. The private
sector and international food manufacturers have to deliver on commitments for product
reformulation and ensure that markets in LMIC benefit from their work to reduce the
sodium content of the products which are sold across borders.
Much progress has been made already, and the way forward calls for increased
collaboration so that environments enabling safer levels of salt consumption for the
prevention of noncommunicable diseases can be created.
This report is a summary of the evidence and experiences presented during the technical
meeting, as well as the discussions of the working group sessions and conclusions
reached by the participants. It will contribute to the development of the WHO toolkit of
population-based salt reduction strategies.
Item Type: | Report | ||||
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Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Biomedical Sciences > Translational & Experimental Medicine > Metabolic and Vascular Health (- until July 2016) Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School |
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Publisher: | World Health Organization | ||||
ISBN: | 9789241500777 | ||||
Official Date: | 2010 | ||||
Dates: |
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Number of Pages: | 42 | ||||
Status: | Not Peer Reviewed | ||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||
Description: | Participants including: Cappuccio, F.P. |
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