Jumoke Olasunkanmi
The Technical Advisor for Network for Health and Equity and Development (NHED) Dr. Jerome Mafeni, has warned against consumption of excess salt, particularly in commercially produced foods as it contributes to hypertension, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.
Mafeni made the statement in a press conference organised by the Corporate Accountability for Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), with support from NHED and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), in Abuja on Tuesday.
He noted that excessive salt intake has become a public health concern and can be linked to the rising number NCDs such as hypertension, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.
“Studies have shown that high salt intake is a major risk factor these diseases and it is estimated that NCDs account for 29 percent of all deaths in Nigeria. High salt intake is directly linked to increased blood pressure, which is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
”Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for a significant number of premature deaths and disabilities in Nigeria,” he explained.
“By reducing salt intake, we can significantly lower the incidence of hypertension and related diseases, leading to improves health outcome and reduced healthcare cost.”
Mafeni also called on the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, as well as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to develop and enforce laws regulating salt content in processed foods ”through the development and implementation of policies and regulations that mandate the reduction of salt content in commercially produced foods.”
Similarly, the Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi stated that Nigeria has a record of 5.8 gram of salt per day, exceeding the less than 5 gram recommend by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“Presently, Nigeria records an estimated daily salt consumption reaching up to 5.8 grams per day, dangerously exceeding the WHO recommended limit of 2 grams of sodium or less than 5 gram of salt per day. This is equivalent to just one teaspoon of salt daily.”
He also added that the change in diet over the past decade indicates a shift towards processed foods and seasonings that contain high amount of sodium and increasing number of fast food outlets contribute to deaths from NCDs, particularly the 12 percent of hypertension deaths.
