Friday, November 22, 2013

TAIEX Regional Worksop for the SEE Health Network on Preventive Actions against Excessive Salt Intake, Podorica, 25--26 November 2013

The TAIEX Workshop is organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Montenegro and the SEE Regional Health Development Centre on Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention and Control.

The aim of the assistance is to provide the Members of the SEEHN with  information on European Union Member States practices concerning preventive actions on excessive salt intake leading to chronic non-communicable diseases.

Preventable noncommunicable diseases are the main cause of mortality, morbidity and disability, hence ill health, in the SEE region. High salt intake is one of the main risk factors leading to hypertension and brain strokes. There is already a wealth of evidence and good practices showing that by reducing the salt intake through a number of cost-effective actions and services leads to fast and positive impact on the health of the people. Reduction of salt intake is one of the "best-buys" in fighting the NCD epidemics.

In the SEEHN countries salt intake, though varying within the countries and the different population groups, is high, between 8-10 and even up to 13-15 grams per day.

By learning from the best experiences in some of the EU countries during the TAIEX workshop, it is expected that the SEE countries will discuss and agree around several actions and interventions to be taken at both regional and national levels. The agreed actions will be defined and stated in a draft Decision to be tabled to the National Health Coordinators at their 23nd Plenary Meeting on 27-28 November and endorsed through the signature of the SEEHN President.

The actions will follow the EU Framework, built on five key elements:

  Data collection

  Establishment of minimum benchmarks within major food categories

  Public awareness

  Industry engagement and labeling

  Monitoring, evaluation and reformulation

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