Health officials in Karnataka, a state in southern India, launched a Multisectoral Action Plan for Salt Reduction and Promotion of Healthy Dietary Habits that commits to cut salt intake by 30% by 2030, in line with the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of less than five grams of salt a day.
The state’s new plan aims to educate people on how to reduce salt that’s added during cooking and at the table, lower salt in packaged foods and meals provided by public institutions. It also adds nutrition counselling to primary health care. Karnataka’s plan is a strong model and is one other states can adapt to fit their own programs
Health Minister UT Khader chaired the launch meeting in Bengaluru along with the expert advisory group, whose members include the state health department, doctors, nutrition specialists, academics and civil society organizations such as Vision for Social Development.
A member of the advisory group, Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) contributed to the development of the plan, sharing expertise on food policy, salt reduction, food labels, front-of-package warnings and salt substitutes with less sodium. It also advised on putting the plan into action. The plan builds on RTSL’s Healthier Foods and Environment work, where policies that make food healthier and lower in salt now protect more than 200 million people globally.
Next, Karnataka aims to set up a steering committee to coordinate and monitor the work across sectors.
