WHO GLOBAL REPORT
ON SODIUM INTAKE REDUCTIONWHO GLOBAL REPORT
ON SODIUM INTAKE REDUCTIONWHO global report on sodium intake reduction
ISBN 978-92-4-006998-5 (electronic version)
ISBN 978-92-4-006999-2 (print version)
(c) World Health Organization 2023
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Design and layout: Alberto March
Printed in SwitzerlandContents
Acknowledgements v
Abbreviations vi
Foreword vii
Executive summary viii
Scope and purposeix
Background 1
WHO guideline: sodium intake for adults and children 2
Member State commitments to the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 3
Methods 5
Implementation of sodium reduction policies and measures6
Sodium Country Score Card6
Population dietary sodium intake8
Modelled health impact of sodium reduction policies and measures 8
Results 11
Implementation of sodium reduction policies and measures 12
National policy commitments 12
Measures to reduce sodium in the food supply or encourage consumers to make healthier food choices about sodium 13
Reformulation to reduce sodium content across the food supply15
Public food procurement and service policies 19
Nutrition labelling21
Mass media campaigns 27
Marketing restrictions 29
Fiscal policies 31
Sodium Country Score Card33
Sodium Country Score Cards: African Region 35
Sodium Country Score Cards: Region of the Americas 36
Sodium Country Score Cards: Eastern Mediterranean Region 37
Sodium Country Score Cards: European Region 38
Sodium Country Score Cards: South-East Asia Region 39
Sodium Country Score Cards: Western Pacific Region 40
Population dietary sodium intake 41
Modelled health impact of sodium reduction policies and measures 42
Impact of policies and measures on sodium intake 42
Impact of policies and measures on cardiovascular disease 42
The way forward 43
References46
Annexes 53
Annex 1: Sodium intake, sodium country score, policies and measures in WHO Member States 54
Annex 2: Details of sodium reduction policies and measures implemented around the world 70
Annex 3: Overview of mandatory and voluntary measures by WHO region87
Annex 4: Overview of mandatory and voluntary measures by World Bank income group 90
iii Acknowledgements
his report was developed by Ms Kaia Engesveen, Ms Allison Goldstein, Dr Mary-Anne Land and Ms Camilla
Haugstveit Warren under the coordination of Dr Luz Maria De-Regil, Multisectoral Action in Food Systems Unit,
TDepartment of Nutrition and Food Safety, World Health Organization (WHO).
The valuable technical contributions from colleagues across WHO are recognized: Dr Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh, Dr Lorena
Allemandi, Dr Hana Bekele, Dr Elaine Borghi, Dr Francesco Branca, Ms Melanie Cowan, Dr Angela De Silva, Mr Fabio
Da Silva Gomes, Dr Katrin Engelhardt, Ms Eman Ibrahim, Dr Luc Ingenbleek, Dr Lucero Lopez-Perez, Ms Fabienne
Maertens, Mr Eugene Mahlehla, Ms Nashwa Mansour, Dr Ricardo X. Martinez, Mr Leendert Nederveen, Dr Chizuru
Nishida, Ms Pyi Pyi Phyo, Ms Leanne Riley, Dr Juliawati Untoro, Ms Laura Utemissova, Mr Stephen Whiting, Dr Kremlin
Wickramasinghe and Dr Rain Yamamoto. Also recognized are the WHO Nigeria noncommunicable disease team
through Dr Kelias Phiri Msyamboza and the WHO Country Office of Sri Lanka.
WHO also recognizes the valuable contributions made by Ms Simone Bosch, Dr Laura Cobb, Dr Renu Garg, Ms Nicole Ide
(Resolve to Save Lives) and Mr Aaron Schwid (Vital Strategies), Ms Mhairi Brown (World Action on Salt, Sugar and Health),
Dr Marieke Hendriksen (WHO Collaborating Centre for Nutrition), Dr Megan E. Henry (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School
of Public Health), Dr Kathy Trieu and Professor Jacqui Webster (WHO Collaborating Centre on Population Salt Reduction),
Professor Jason Wu (Nutrition Science Program, The George Institute for Global Health), Professor Peter Scarborough
(Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford), Professor Chantal Julia (;Equipe de Recherche en
;Epidémilogie Nutritionnelle), Dr Eszter Sarkadi-Nagy (National Insitute of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Hungary), Ms
Stephanise Desnousse, Ms Judy Jean-Baptise and Ms Vereine Louis-Marie (Ministry of Health Seychelles), and colleagues
from the Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka.
All Member States are acknowledged for the actions taken to reduce population sodium intake.
Financial support
WHO is grateful for the financial support to develop this report from the Government of Sweden and Resolve to Save
Lives.
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