Sodium intake and iodized salt in the South-East Asia Region
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Abstract
Increased blood pressure is the leading risk factor for death and the second leading risk for disability by causing heart disease, stroke and kidney failure, globally. The World Health Organization is promoting the reduction of salt intake to 5 g/day for adults as a cost-effective strategy to reduce hypertension and the overall burden of noncommunicable diseases, while at the same time promoting universal iodization of edible salt for the prevention and control of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). Synergizing both programmes by promoting their commonalities and complementarities is an essential component of public health. The WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia organized a regional workshop on sodium intake and iodized salt for Member States in the South-East Asia Region. The general objective of the workshop was to strengthen an integrated approach for sodium reduction and salt iodization programmes in the Member States of the Region. The key recommendations of the workshop for countries of the Region included the establishment of baseline dietary salt intake data, public education and behaviour change communication to address the issue of high dietary salt intakes. Addressing the food industry to reduce salt in processed foods but, at the same time, to use iodized salt in their products, and the setting up of a joint national committee to harmonize dietary salt reduction and salt iodization were also recommended.Citation
World Health Organization. Regional Office for South-East Asia. (2015). Sodium intake and iodized salt in the South-East Asia Region. World Health Organization, Regional Office for South-East Asia. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/154549