Health experts from 28 countries around the world are joining together this week (2 – 8 February) to urge people to eat less salt for the good of their health.

World Salt Awareness Week, lead by World Action on Salt and Health (WASH) will be taking place in Australia, Bangladesh, Botswana, Bulgaria, Canada, Caribbean, Chile, Croatia, Cuba, Dubai, Egypt, Finland, Georgia, India, Italy, Kenya, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, UK and the USA. In Botswana, the focus for the week will be foods eaten outside of the home;  increasing consumer awareness of the link between a high salt diet and increased risk of strokes and heart attacks; encouraging the food industry to reduce the amount of salt it adds to ready-made foods; encouraging chefs in restaurants and food stalls to add less salt to their food as they cook.

"Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide," [Ref. 1] says Professor Graham MacGregor, Chairman of WASH and Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine. [Ref. 2] "Eating too much salt puts up our blood pressure, which is the major risk factor of CVD, leading to millions of unnecessary deaths each year.  If we reduce our salt intake by just a few grammes a day, we can all reduce our risk of heart disease and stroke." [Ref. 3]

"The UK has demonstrated that publicising the health risks of a high salt diet and working with the food industry to reduce the amount of salt they add to foods leads to reductions in salt intake at a population level," says Katharine Jenner, WASH Co-ordinator. "And the message is getting out around the world that this is a simple and cheap way to save lives.  It’s not often that countries from all over the globe join together in this way, demonstrating that salt reduction is becoming a world-wide issue."