Sapiens Health Foundation, IIT Madras jointly conducted a workshop on low salt diet. It was a collaborative effort between Sapiens Health Foundation, Dept of Medical Sciences & Technology, Directorate of Public Health, Govt of Tamil Nadu, & Resolve to Save Lives, a New York-based NGO.
The event is intended to boost the collective fight against high salt consumption. Dr T.S. Selva Vinayagam, Director, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Government of Tamil Nadu, was the chief guest of the event in which doctors, faculty and students from IIT Madras, among others, took part.
Importance
Dr Rajan Ravichandran, Chairman of the Sapiens Health Foundation and Professor of Practice at IIT Madras, underscored the importance of labelling and statutory guidelines on salt/sodium contents in packaged foods, a key area of focus for all the stakeholders involved.
Chief Guest
Chief Guest emphasized TN Government’s commitment to preventing non-communicable diseases. ‘We all know that non-communicable diseases accounts for nearly 65% of the fatalities/mortalities.
To address this epidemic, we need to address the ‘risk factors’ which are modifiable such as salt, sugar and related items, said speaking at the event by IIT Madras and Sapiens Health Foundation.
Unless we address these factors, it would not be sustainable for any country to manage the complications due to NCD. Reducing salt in-take is among the most cost-effective strategy even though it might seem as a simple thing, he said.
A global document and strategy that states if you are able to reduce current salt consumption by 30%, there will be a reduction of at least 25% prevalence in hypertension, said the chief guest at the event by Sapiens Health Foundation and IIT Madras.
“This is no more a medical challenge but a ‘commercial determinant’. The consumption of processed food is increasing due to lifestyle modifications and an instant attraction to fast foods leading to over consumption that results in complications like mortalities, said Dr Selva Vinayagam at the event by Sapiens Health Foundation and IIT Madras.
The industry is searching for a new customer through children. We need to break this down at different levels to bring down the NCD Problem. We have more ultra high-density products that are available resulting in children getting addicted due to the easy availability and convenience. This we need to address through people like you (Doctors), he said.
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The current data says that almost 70-80% of the salt which we consume is from hidden sources and not direct consumption. This is due to increased ease of ordering food to home and eating out, said the chief guest.
There should be a certain level of action that we as individuals can do and also certain actions which we need to do at a population-level or community level that Governments can take, said the chief guest at the event by Sapiens Health Foundation and IIT Madras.
People should be more discerning in what they eat. Whatever public interventions were taken up for tackling tobacco should be taken up for salt also as this is a bigger challenge, he said.
‘Every US$ 1 spent on intervention will give not less than $12 in returns. The returns are manifold such as preventing mortality, complications and prolonging the healthy years.’
Praise for the efforts of Sapiens Health Foundation
Sending a message for the workshop, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, who lauded the Sapiens Health Foundation’s efforts in spreading awareness on reducing salt in food, said, “Health is wealth.
Public awareness about good practices in food preparation and consumption is a must. I immensely commend Sapiens Health Foundation and Department of Medical Sciences and Technology for this effort, said Director of IIT Madras in praise of Sapiens Health Foundation.
Manual
On this occasion, a manual on salt guidelines for Physicians was released. To spread the message, Colourful posters for reducing salt were distributed to the participants.
Movement
Dr. Amit Shah, Director, Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), India, highlighted the global movement for reduced salt intake, which has gained momentum, and appealed to the medical fraternity to prioritise salt intake when treating patients.
Workshop
During the workshop, several medical experts from different parts of the country shared their insights on various aspects of salt, its relationship to blood vessels, heart an kidneys and bones, among others.
Discussion
The discussion during the event by IIT Madras and Sapiens Health Foundation also focused on the role and availability of cost-effective low salt substitutes. The importance of creating awareness in the population, the need for food industries to reformulate low sodium products, and governmental policies on taxation on high-salted items and food labelling for salt were key subjects.
The workshop’s outcomes, including the suggested low-salt recipes, are crucial for the audience to stay informed and aware of the ongoing efforts in salt reduction.
The workshop concluded with inspiring remarks and a vote of thanks by Mr. R. Sundar, Trustee of Sapiens Health Foundation. He highlighted the uniqueness of the workshop as a global programme and its potential impact on the Nation’s health.
Mr. R. Sundar, Trustee of Sapiens Health Foundation also announced the Foundation’s plan to hold similar workshops in Mumbai and Delhi, further bolstering the fight against high salt consumption. This commitment to action should inspire all the stakeholders to continue their efforts in salt reduction.
ABOUT SAPIENS HEALTH FOUNDATION
Sapiens Health Foundation was started in the year 1997 with the idea of helping patients with kidney diseases. The foundation was started by donations from patients and has been effectively run by transplant patients. Initially, the main focus was on providing subsidised dialysis and medications after transplantation.
From 2005 we have been checking the urine for protein amongst college and school students in and around Chennai. The data has been published in the international journal of nephrology and Reno vascular disease
From 2003 the foundation has been conducting awareness lectures in several institutions all over the country.