WASH Action Groups - World Action on Salt. Sugar & Health

WASH Group	Country	Leader (Person or organisation)	Main Aim:	Campaigns/Activities:	Year Founded	Supported by Government?
AWASH	Australia	Bruce Neal – also a member of the George Institute of Global Health	To reduce the amount of salt consumed to 6g per day within 5 years.	Campaign known as Drop the Salt! They aim to achieve their goal through four main strategies: - An average twenty-five percent reduction in the salt content of foods - An average twenty-five percent reduction in salt use by the catering industry - Increased population knowledge of the benefits of low salt diets - Clear labelling of foods that makes the salt content immediately apparent	2007	No
CRASH	Croatia	Croatian Academy of Medical Science, Croatian Society of Hypertension, Croatian Atherosclerosis Society, Croatian Cardiac Society, and School of Medicine – University of Zagreb.		Campaign known as Less salt – More health! They declared the salt reducing programme – a national programme for reducing salt intake. Organised several educational activities for the general population as well as for physicians and nurses. They have also begun negotiating with the food industry.	2008	Yes – Croatian Food Agency, Croatian Ministry of Health and Social Care.
LASH	Lebanon	Part of the Vascular Medicine Program (VMP) at the American University of Beirut (AUB).	Reduce sodium intake to 2000mg.	Focus of the campaign is policy change to control bread production and reduce salt content by 10%, followed by a 20% further reduction in the months to follow. Activities include awareness campaigns, workshops for healthcare professionals and improving food labels.	2014	Yes – Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.
MASH	Morocco	Professor Abdelfettah Derouiche, University of Hassan, Casablanca	Reduce intake to 5g/day maximum.	Creating a national alliance for reducing the consumption of salt, fats and sugar and signing conventions with the food industry. Also plan to reduce salt by 10% in regular bread each year to reach an objective of 1kg of salt per 100kg of flour in 5 years. Also organising an awareness campaign and identifying 5 other principle foods contributing to the high salt consumption. Equally plan to create focal points in order to collect data on food consumption and to create guidelines for collective restaurants and canteens. Finally, plan to establish a programme of education for restaurants’ personnel and hold a national campaign of education.		Yes
ALASS	South America	Pan American Health Organisation & Consumers	Reduce salt content to a maximum of 5g/day.	Disseminating information, education, etc. at a regional, national and/or population level.	2011	Active in many countries – supported by many Governments.
ALASS	Chile	Pan American Health Organisation & Consumers	Reduce salt content to a maximum of 5g/day.	Implemented voluntary goals on the limits of salt inbread. Main programme began in 2011. Laws on the nutritional composition of foods and their advertising.		Yes – through law 20,606.
ALASS	Argentina	Pan American Health Organisation & Consumers	Reduce salt content to a maximum of 5g/day.	‘More life less salt’ programme. Implemented mandatory targets on salt. Also raising awareness, and encouraging progressive reduction in sodium by agreements with the food industry and reduction of salt content in the development of artisan bread.		Yes – Government implemented the Law 26, 905 to promote the reduction of sodium. Issued on December 6^th 2013.
ALASS	Brazil	Pan American Health Organisation & Consumers	Reduce salt content to a maximum of 5g/day.	Setting up voluntary goals on the limits of salt in the diet. Strategy involves a dialogue with the food industry, setting specific goals for different food categories and dealing with salt reduction through actions, education and information campaigns.		Yes – Government helped to set voluntary goals in 2007.
ALASS	Colombia	Pan American Health Organisation & Consumers	Reduce salt content to a maximum of 5g/day.	Government had a National food and nutrition plan since 1996. Since then ALASS is focusing on its awareness campaign and trying to keep the issue of salt relevant.		Yes
ALASS	Costa Rica	Pan American Health Organisation & Consumers	Reduce salt content to a maximum of 5g/day.	Ministry of Health and Costa Rican Institute for Research and Teaching in Nutrition and Health launched the National Plan to Reduce Consumption of Salt in 2011. Its strategy involves implementing strategies in coordination with the food industry, promoting behaviour change and monitoring actions and activities. ALASS is supporting this strategy.		Yes – Government declared the problem to be of ‘public and national interest’.
ALASS	Ecuador	Pan American Health Organisation & Consumers	Reduce salt content to a maximum of 5g/day.	Government began its plan to lower salt intake by introducing voluntary agreements with the food industry. Also adopted Laws on other regulations to promote healthy eating (Organic Law on Food Sovereignty). ALASS is supporting the Government in its salt reduction strategy.		Yes
ALASS	Mexico	Pan American Health Organisation & Consumers	Reduce salt content to a maximum of 5g/day.	Voluntary goals between Government and industry on the limits of salt in bread backed by ALASS. Campaign is known as ‘–salt = +health’. The focus of the strategy about food is the fight against obesity. Mexico has also removed salt shakers from tables.		Yes
ALASS	Paraguay	Pan American Health Organisation & Consumers	Reduce salt content to a maximum of 5g/day.	Implemented binding targets between Government and industry on the limits of bread and salt in the diet. The Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare adopted Resolution 248 in April 2013 by which the salt content in bakery consumer products is regulated.		Yes
Groupe SALT	France	Professor Michel Krempf – President of Groupe SALT	Reduce salt to a maximum of 6g/day.	Developing information for the public, cooperate with professionals to help them reduce salt content in their products; bring together scientific evidence to show the impact of salt on health.	2010	Yes – their actions are in cooperation with the Plan National pour l’Alimentation (PNA) within the ‘Loi de Modernisation de l’Agriculture’.