VN037 Broadcasting messages to raise awareness of the public about salt intake reduction to prevent and control hypertension and stroke on TV and radio nationwide.

Background

According to WHO estimation, the deaths caused by cardio-vascular diseases mainly strokes and heart attack account for 31% of total deaths in Viet Nam. Hypertension is a very important cause of CVDs and excessive use of salt is a critical risk factor of hypertension. According to non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors survey (STEPS) in 2015, on average, Vietnamese people consume 9.4grams of salt/person/day, which is almost double than the WHO recommendation of less than 5grams of salt /person/day.

Raising public awareness on salt intake reduction through national campaign is one of the best buy interventions recommended by WHO for prevention and control of NCD.

Since late 2019, WHO has worked with the Resolve To Save Lives, an initiative of the Vital Strategies to support Ministry of Health to implement a national mass media campaign to reduce sodium consumption across the population. The campaign seeks to contribute to a reduction of average population salt intake by 15% by 2020 compared to 2015. This will result in substantially reduced burden of CVD and other NCDs. It will also contribute to reduction of severe progress and deaths caused by COVID-19 because people with NCD are more vulnerable to become severely ill or dying if suffering from the disease.

To continue to promote salt intake reduction in Viet Nam, WHO will support for another mass media campaign on salt reduction in 2021. The broadcasting time is about 12 weeks. With the positive results of the first campaign mentioned above, this time the campaign will keep almost the same including TV and radio spots. However, there will be probably two modifications as recommended by the evaluation results. There are (1) consideration of creating campaign recall equally in three areas of Viet Nam- the North, Central and South, and (2) broadcasting radio spot will be invested more than the last time.

Objectives of the activity

To raise awareness of the public about salt intake reduction to prevent and control hypertension and stroke.

Timelines:

Start date:  10 September 2021 

End date:   10 December 2021