Action on Salt China promotion programs launched online

On 30 July 2020, Action on Salt China (ASC) promotion program was launched online by The George Institute China. Over 90 project personnel from Chinese Center for Disease Control (China CDC) and Prevention, Hebei, Jiangxi, Hu’nan, Sichuan and Qinghai province attended the event. The meeting was facilitated by Professor Puhong Zhang, Associated Director of The George Institute China.

Professor Zhang provided a warm welcome and expressed his gratitude to all project staff for their commitment over the past three years. He said, “I expect at the promotional stage, ASC could enchance multi-sectoral collaboration and all society participation, and play a vital role in promoting healthy lifestyle for the general public.”

Mr. Jixiang Ma, Head of Chronic Disease and Ageing Health Administration division, China CDC, expressed his high expectations on ASC. Given salt reduction had gained worldwide recognition as one of the most cost-effective intervention strategies for chronic diseases management. Mr. Jixiang Ma hoped that the project would achieve a comprehensive salt reduction strategy, provide evidence and technical support for policy makers, and truly reduce salt intake.

Dr. Yuan Li, Head of Nutrition and Lifestyle unit, The George Institute China gave an update of the project. Despite the challenges brought by Covid-19, the four randomized controlled trials have still made great strides. At the end, Dr Yuan Li and Dr Yu Liu from Beihang University shared the project plan and app at promotional stage.

The ASC project is a 4-year salt reduction project funded by UK’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). It is a collaboration between the Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and The George Institute, China, and involves broad program of work with health authorities of the China CDC, Chinese Center for Health Education (CCHE) and China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) and Beihang University. The project will develop and implement a comprehensive, effective and sustainable national salt reduction program targeting home cooking, eating out and pre-packaged food salt intake paths, with the goal of achieving a 15% reduction.