WORLD SALT AWARENESS WEEK: A CALL TO ACTION FOR REDUCING SALT INTAKE IN MALAYSIA

Yook Chin Chia; Yook Chin Chia; Yook Chin Chia; Siew Mooi Ching; Siew Mooi Ching; Siew Mooi Ching; Nik Sherina Hanafi

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WORLD SALT AWARENESS WEEK: A CALL TO ACTION FOR REDUCING SALT INTAKE IN MALAYSIA

Author: Yook Chin Chia ¹ ; Yook Chin Chia ² ; Yook Chin Chia ³ ; Siew Mooi Ching ⁴ ; Siew Mooi Ching ⁵ ; Siew Mooi Ching ⁶ ; Nik Sherina Hanafi ⁷
Author Information

1. Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
2. Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
3. Ageing, Health and Wellbeing Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
4. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
5. Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (MyAgeing), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.
6. Research Centre of Excellence Nutrition and Non-communicable Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UPM, Malaysia.
7. Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Lembah Pantai, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Publication Type:Other Types
Keywords: World; Salt; Awareness; Malaysia
From:Malaysian Family Physician 2025;20(1):1-4
CountryMalaysia
Language:English
Abstract: WORLD SALT AWARENESS WEEK: A CALL TO ACTION FOR REDUCING SALT INTAKE IN MALAYSIA:Cardiovascular diseases remain a primary contributor to death worldwide, with hypertension being a key determinant. Excessive salt intake is a contributing factor of high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases. To address this, the World Health Organization recommends keeping daily salt consumption under 5 g and aiming for a 30% decrease by 2025. In Malaysia, efforts to reach this target have faced delays. A local study found that 79% of Malaysians consume an average of 7.9 g of salt per day, which is significantly higher than the WHO’s recommendations. Despite efforts such as voluntary food reformulation, mandatory sodium labelling and public education campaigns, challenges remain. Industry reluctance, low consumer awareness and inadequate enforcement slow down such efforts. This commentary reviews these issues and suggests applicable approaches to strengthen Malaysia’s salt reduction strategies.
Full text:2026110510335764991World Salt.pdf