Pacific: The Salt Reduction challenge

World Health Organisation commits to supporting the Pacific in the Salt Reduction challenge

Press release – 3 August, 2010 Dr. Chen Ken, WHO Representative to the South Pacific, said that people are eating too much salt which is bad for health. High salt intakes lead to high blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are three times more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke than those with normal blood pressure and twice as likely to die from these diseases. High salt intakes are also associated with a range of other illnesses including stomach cancer, osteoporosis and asthma.

The WHO Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) STEPS survey has shown that high blood pressure is a major problem in the Pacific. In Fiji for instance, the 2002 NCD STEPS Survey reveals that the prevalence of high blood pressure in the age group 15 – 64 yrs is 19.1%. In the same survey in some other Pacific island countries the prevalence is unacceptably as high as 34%. This together with high blood sugar level, high blood cholesterol level and obesity are the major attributable causes of premature deaths in Fiji and the Pacific. About 75% of the deaths in the Pacific region are attributable to NCDs.

Reducing salt intakes has been identified as one of the most cost effective measure for improving population health outcomes throughout the world, with the potential to save millions of lives each year. Almost everyone benefits from salt reduction, not just people with high blood pressure. What’s more, the effects are cumulative throughout life, so even reducing children’s salt intakes reduces the burden of disease in later life.

On this basis, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been encouraging all countries to reduce average salt intakes to <5 g/day through the development of national salt reduction strategies and considering how best it would further support this regionally. This was presented by WHO and discussed during the recent Pacific Food Summit in April in Vanuatu and the Pacific NCD forum in Nadi, Fiji in June where participants gained a common understanding of the sodium sources and intake levels in countries, the effects and link of salt consumption to diseases and the strategies to reduce salt intake. The Framework of Action on Food Security in the Pacific from the summit is being tabled at the current 41st Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting for endorsement.

As an outcome of the meeting, WHO together with its partners is providing support to Pacific island countries in the development of salt reduction program that will be implemented at a low cost within the framework of existing National NCD strategies. Key strategies include advocacy, assessment of dietary intake, consumer empowerment and working with the food industry to reduce the salt content of foods and improving labeling.

In a recent WHO support to Fiji, the Health Minister convened a one day stakeholder meeting with key players from the food industry, government officials, health and consumer organizations and national and international experts to consider the potential for salt reduction and has a draft Salt Action Challenge Plan in place. As part of implementation, Salt Action Challenge groups have been established for processed foods, meals eaten away from home and home cooked foods. These groups are considering strategies ranging from salt standards for processed foods to behaviour change programs targeting both caterers and customers distributed through different eateries including street foods vendors, workplace canteens and schools. Part of the plan includes reliable and accurate assessment of salt intake and sources of salt in diet.

Other countries like Solomon Islands and Tonga are following suit and WHO commits to support these cost-effective initiatives in the pacific island countries.

ENDS