NEW DELHI: The Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR-NIE) has launched a new initiative aimed at decreasing India’s salt consumption, after analysis revealed that common every day intake in each city and rural areas exceeds the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) advisable limit of 5 grams per day.The common salt intake in city India stands at 9.2 grams per day, whereas rural India averages 5.6 grams, each effectively above the worldwide health commonplace. “Excess sodium intake significantly increases the risk of hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and kidney disorders, making salt reduction a national priority,” mentioned Dr Sharan Murali, Principal Investigator of the research at ICMR-NIE.To deal with the problem, ICMR-NIE has rolled out a three-year intervention undertaking in Punjab and Telangana. The initiative goals to evaluate whether or not structured salt discount counselling, delivered by health employees at Health and Wellness Centres, will help cut back blood strain and sodium consumption in people with hypertension.Currently in its first yr, the undertaking is specializing in baseline assessments. Dr Murali harassed the significance of co-creating the counselling materials with group health employees: “It’s not just about delivering health education—it’s about listening, understanding, and building together.”The research additionally discovered that low-sodium salt substitutes—the place sodium chloride is partially changed with potassium or magnesium—can decrease blood strain by 7/4 mmHg on common. However, a market survey in Chennai confirmed that low-sodium salt was out there in simply 28% of shops and was priced at greater than double the price of common salt, indicating each consciousness and entry gaps.To construct momentum, ICMR-NIE has launched the #PinchForAChange marketing campaign on Twitter and LinkedIn, aiming to boost public consciousness utilizing infographics and easy messages.“This is not just about reducing salt,” mentioned Dr Murali. “It’s about restoring balance in our diets, our systems, and our hearts—one pinch at a time.”
