Islamabad: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that people around the world are still consuming more than double the recommended daily amount of salt, contributing to millions of deaths from heart disease, stroke and kidney ailments every year as governments struggle to control rising rates of non communicable diseases.
In its newly released guidance document titled “SHAKE the Salt Habit, Second Edition”, WHO said the average global sodium intake in 2021 was estimated at 4,278 milligrams per person per day, equivalent to around 11 grams of salt daily, which is more than twice the WHO recommended limit of less than 2,000 milligrams of sodium or five grams of salt per day.
The UN health agency estimated that around 1.7 million deaths in 2023 were associated with excessive sodium consumption, mainly through its role in causing high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, strokes and kidney disorders. The report noted that cardiovascular diseases remained the leading cause of death globally and excessive salt intake was among the most preventable risk factors.
WHO said all 194 member states had committed to reducing population sodium intake by 30 percent by 2030, but progress remained slow globally despite mounting evidence linking high sodium diets with hypertension, obesity, kidney disease and gastric cancer.
The organization urged governments to adopt mandatory and government led policies including reformulation of processed foods, front of pack warning labels, restrictions on marketing unhealthy foods, taxation of high sodium products and nationwide public awareness campaigns.
The report stressed that voluntary measures by the food industry alone were insufficient and warned governments against allowing food manufacturers to influence public health policies. WHO observed that many commercial food companies heavily relied on products high in salt, sugar and unhealthy fats, often resisting stricter nutrition regulations aimed at protecting public health.
WHO maintained that reducing sodium intake was among the most cost effective public health interventions and estimated that implementation of stronger sodium reduction policies could prevent around seven million cardiovascular deaths globally by 2030.
The report further highlighted that many low and middle income countries were rapidly shifting from traditional diets towards highly processed packaged foods and fast foods containing excessive sodium, contributing to rising obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Although the WHO document does not specifically discuss Pakistan, health experts say the findings are highly relevant for the country where hypertension, heart disease and strokes are increasing rapidly due to changing food habits, excessive use of processed foods, restaurant meals and discretionary salt in home cooking.
Pakistan has one of the highest burdens of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases in South Asia. According to health experts and national surveys, nearly one third of adults in the country suffer from high blood pressure while a significant number remain unaware of their condition until complications such as heart attacks or strokes occur.
Cardiologists and public health experts in Pakistan have repeatedly linked increasing cases of hypertension, heart attacks and strokes among younger adults to unhealthy eating habits, excessive consumption of processed and restaurant foods, physical inactivity, obesity and lack of awareness regarding salt intake.
Experts say Pakistan still lacks a comprehensive national sodium reduction strategy, mandatory front of pack warning labels and strict regulation of sodium content in processed foods despite rapidly increasing consumption of packaged snacks, instant foods and fast food products among urban populations.
WHO has urged countries to monitor sodium levels in packaged foods, improve food labeling systems and regularly assess sodium intake through national surveys. It also called for mass media campaigns to educate people about the dangers of excessive salt consumption and the importance of healthier dietary practices.
The global health body warned that reducing salt intake should become part of broader national efforts to tackle non communicable diseases, which are now responsible for the majority of deaths worldwide, including in Pakistan where cardiovascular diseases continue to rise steadily.
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