2020 Volume 28 Issue 1 Pages 50-56
Objective: Gero city got the "Smart Life Project Award (Let's extend healthy life expectancy!)" by MHLW in 2019 for the community-based salt reduction action. This article aimed to show the uniqueness of its program and future directions.
Project contents: Until not too long ago, Gero city had some of the highest percentages of citizens with high blood pressure (37.1%) and cerebrovascular disease (10.1%) in all of Gifu prefecture. Since 2017, however, the percentages have decreased to 36.7% and 8.4%, respectively. To bring about this change, health workers in Gero city decided not to focus solely on the diseases, but also to promote healthy eating habits among healthy looking citizens as well, in both the public and private sectors. The Sodium Reduction Promotion Committee was then formed to promote lower sodium diet. They first implemented enlightenment activities to raise awareness about high salt intake in schools, volunteer organizations, and other health-related facilities. Next, they strongly promoted to make low sodium foods visible in supermarkets and shops to enhance their consumption.
Future directions: Focusing only on the diseases was not enough to improve the health of the community. By working with diverse stakeholders of the community in various public and private places, Gero city improved in overall community health. These steps are just the beginning, and to give our children a healthy future, Gero city will continue to make every effort to this program so that all may live long and healthy lives.
