New roadmap for health and well-being in Central Asia was recently published by the WHO, one area public health experts are keen to address is the reformation of nutrition policy for the region.
The traditional diets of Asian countries (CACs): The Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan are rich in meat and salt.
A meat heavy diet without adequate fruit, vegetables and fibres can have lasting effects on the health of individuals.
Increased salt consumption above the 6g daily recommended intake can lead to cardiovascular disorders, heart attacks, strokes and death.
Traditionally foods prepared in small businesses and homes can often contain this much salt in one serving. Also, the main traditional method of preserving meat for the winter is the heavy salting of joints.
The document has key pointers from which policymakers can influence behaviour around health and nutrition, particularly in consuming less salt in the diet.
The WHO encourages policy advocacy, developing and enforcing laws (such as taxation)and front-end packaging labelling, directly to influence the consumer.
Reference:
World Health Organization 2022. Document number: WHO/EURO:2022-5906-45671-65602 https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1478080/retrieve
World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe. (2022). Compendium of the Roadmap for Health and Well-being in Central Asia (2022–2025). World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/364327. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO