Brunei (Commonwealth Union)_ During the launch of the National Strategy for Salt Reduction, Brunei’s Minister of Health, Dato Seri Setia Dr Mohd Isham Jaafar, expressed mounting concerns over the excessive salt intake of the population. According to the 2016 National STEPS-NCD Survey, salt intake in Brunei Darussalam was approximately 10 grams per day, which is double the quantity recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Further, the male population is found to consume more salt than their female counterparts.
The minister also highlighted that 51 percent of food products in the Sultanate have high salt content, with bread, crackers, instant noodles, and canned or packaged foods being the worst offenders. According to the minister, high intake of salt is a major risk factor for hypertension, which causes various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, renal disease, stomach cancer, and obesity. Further, a global study conducted by the Lancet revealed that excessive salt intake contributed to the deaths of two million people in 2019. The minister also stated that cardiovascular diseases have been the leading cause of premature deaths in the sultanate over the past decade.
The National STEPS-NCD Survey 2016 further shows that 28 percent of adults in Brunei have high blood pressure, with men being at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Following a healthy lifestyle and consuming a balanced diet can help prevent high blood pressure. Further, studies have demonstrated that reducing sodium intake is an effective measure for preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The minister emphasized that salt is the main source of sodium in food and that the WHO recommends an individual’s salt intake be less than five grams per day. Further, evidence suggests that reducing salt intake by one gram per day can lower blood pressure by an average of two millimeters of mercury (mmHg), reducing the incidence of stroke by 10 percent and heart disease by five percent.
Additionally, Dato Seri Setia Dr Mohd Isham Jaafar highlighted that reducing salt intake plays a crucial role in protecting people from NCDs, and that the WHO advises that reducing sodium consumption is one of the simplest and most inexpensive ways to improve health. He acknowledged that tradition and cultural factors, such as the frequent use of salt seasonings and flavorings like soya, chili, and tomato sauces in daily cooking, contribute to high sodium intake. Further, the consumption of processed food, which is affordable and easily available, has also increased.
The minister believes that government policies are essential to encouraging the population to consume quality, healthy, and nutritious food with low salt content. He said, “Government policies are required to enable the populace to eat quality, healthy, and nutritious food with low salt content. Steps include requiring food businesses to produce and make available healthier foods at an affordable price; having healthier options on the menu; low-salt product availability; increasing awareness on the importance of reducing salt through social marketing; creating a conducive environment for reducing salt in school, workplace, and community; and continuous monitoring of salt intake in the populace”. To accomplish the national target of a 15 percent reduction in salt intake by 2030, the Ministry of Health has devised the National Strategy for Salt Reduction, which includes guidelines aimed at government agencies and stakeholders.
The majority of the measures are not in the health sector, making it society’s and individual’s responsibility to adopt better eating habits. The minister suggested that a whole-of-nation and whole-of-society approach is necessary to achieve the target by 2030, and that the food industry, education, financial, and health sectors play a significant role in identifying gaps, combining related issues, and implementing relevant measures. Behavioral changes, such as choosing to buy and consume low-salt products, refraining from adding salt while cooking, and avoiding additional seasonings such as soya sauce, are also essential. In conclusion, the reduction of salt intake is an essential measure in preventing NCDs and requires collaborative efforts to achieve the desired outcome.
