Between 21% and 27% of Caribbean adults are hypertensive, with many populations consuming nearly double the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation for salt.
High sodium intake contributes to approximately 1.89 million deaths annually worldwide.
In 2025, the WHO recommended that adults consume less than 5 grams of salt per day, equivalent to less than 1 teaspoon of salt. However, global average salt intake is estimated at 10.78 grams per day, more than double the recommended amount. The report highlighted that only a small number of countries globally have implemented comprehensive national salt reduction strategies.
The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) continues to support regional strategies for noncommunicable disease (NCD) prevention, including sodium reduction initiatives, through collaboration with regional ministries of health, Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), and other regional stakeholders. The agency provides technical guidance on food labelling, public education campaigns, and surveillance of NCD risk factors, while also engaging in advocacy and research to support evidence-based interventions.
As such, CARPHA joins the global observance of World Salt Awareness Week from 11–17 May 2026, under the theme Salt It Out. The campaign calls on governments, the food industry, and individuals to take stronger action to reduce excessive salt consumption and protect public health. It is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about the harmful effects of excessive salt (sodium) intake and promoting policies and interventions to reduce its burden, particularly the prevention of cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. Cardiovascular diseases alone account for 30.8% of NCD-related deaths, as found in a 2025 PAHO report.
Speaking on the importance of reducing sodium intake, CARPHA’s Executive Director Dr Lisa Indar shared: “Excessive salt consumption is a silent but significant contributor to hypertension, heart disease, and stroke across the Region. Many people do not realise that much of the salt we consume comes from processed and ultra-processed foods, not just from the salt added at the table. Through stronger policies, food reformulation, better labelling, and public education, we can reduce sodium intake and save lives. World Salt Awareness Week reminds us that reducing salt is one of the simplest and most cost-effective actions we can take to improve public health and protect future generations.”
CARPHA introduced the Six-Point Policy Package (6-PPP), a regional framework designed to promote healthier food environments and improve food security in addressing childhood obesity and NCDs. One of the six policy recommendations includes establishing regional standards and time-bound salt reduction targets for specific food product categories. Building on this, CARPHA developed the CESA Regional Sodium Reduction Framework in 2020 to guide national sodium reduction strategies. The framework is built on four pillars using the acronym ‘CESA’: Change the food environment through policies and legislation; Educate the population; Strengthen systems capacity through research, monitoring, and evaluation; and Assess progress.
Building upon the 2025 benchmarks, CARPHA proposed several sodium reduction measures, including school nutrition education, restrictions on advertising high-sodium foods to children, and public media campaigns. Mandatory legislation for front-of-package labelling, nutrition facts panels, nutrition standards, and product reformulation are also identified as critical actions for reducing sodium consumption across the region.
The framework envisions a healthier Caribbean population where average salt intake falls below the global target of less than 1 teaspoon or 5 grams per day for adults and even less for children. Supporting this effort, CARPHA also developed Kids Can Cook Too, a recipe book featuring nutritious recipes with little or no added salt, fat, and sugar to encourage healthier eating habits from an early age.
Learn more about the Regional Sodium Reduction Framework here.
CARPHA
