Meeting Report - Mobilizing for dietary salt reduction in the Americas

On January 13 and 14, 2009, PAHO and the WHO Collaborating Centre on Chronic Non‐communicable Disease Policy in PHAC co‐hosted a meeting in Miami, Florida to feature the salt reduction policies in CARMEN countries and in other countries and WHO Regions, and to formulate, with CARMEN participants and with input from international experts, the next steps appropriate to national governments, the food industry and civil society at the Regional, sub‐regional and country levels such that dietary salt reduction is advanced in the Americas.

Participants included: 15 representatives from nine CARMEN countries, and salt experts from PAHO, US CDC, the UK, Australia, WHO Geneva, Inter American Heart Foundation, World Hypertension League, Health Canada and PHAC. PAHO also invited three representatives of the food industry for the first day of presentations (US Grocery Manufacturers’ Association, Kellogg’s and Fargo from Argentina).

February 2009, v3 - Prepared for PHAC WHO Collaborating Centre on Chronic Non‐ communicable Disease Policy.