The Ministry of Health represented by the Directorate General of Primary Health Care (Nutrition Department), in partnership with the World Health Organization Office in Oman, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and Al Jisr Foundation, launched today (Monday) the National Nutrition Campaign for salt, sugar, and fat reduction.

The launching ceremony was held under the auspices of H.E. Dr. Mohammed Saif Al Hosni, MOH’s Undersecretary for Health Affairs with the presence of number of Excellencies at the Sheraton hotel. 

Dr. Saeed Al Lamki, Director General of Primary Health Care stressed in the opening speech the importance of this campaign and its role in raising awareness about wrong nutritional behaviors and the need to follow healthy lifestyles. Dr. Al Lamki affirmed the need for enacting binding legislation to achieve the desired goal of reducing the use of salt, sugar and fats.

H.E. Dr. Jean Jabbour, WHO Representative stated that the Organization has undertaken many actions and strategies oriented to governments, international partners, the private sector and civil society to support healthy dietary patterns and physical activity.  The WHO set recommendations on marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children, and developed a comprehensive implementation plan for maternal, infant and young children nutrition. He further pointed out that the WHO has developed nutritional goals related to non-communicable diseases control, reducing stunting, wasting and overweight in children, improving breastfeeding, reducing anemia and low birth weight.

H.E. Nora Haddad, FAO Representative in Oman commended the national efforts exerted to realize transition towards sustainable food systems, affirming that the Sultanate’s participation in the UN Food Systems Summit this year manifested its commitment and preparedness for food systems transformation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 in the country.

Moveover, FAO Representative pointed out that the Organization is calling upon all stakeholders to take part in the transformation of agriculture food systems to achieve more sustainable and resilient food to improve nutrition.  She noted that FAO is working with its strategic partners from the public and private sectors to develop agricultural and food systems as well improve production methods and supply chains.

Dina Al Khalili, Head of Al Jisr Foundation highlighted the necessity of coordinating health policies with other sectors’ policies including education, food, sports, and entertainment   to promote and maintain healthy lifestyles. Al Khalili meanwhile stressed the Foundation support in this regard with the concerned official institutions and its efforts to solve dietary issues and wrong behaviors as well introducing risks. 

This campaign aims at strengthening community practices and trends regarding the consumption of salt, sugar and harmful fats by applying modern, innovative methods that are based on analysis of most common ingredients in community and comparing them to the Nutrition facts label as well cooperating with the companies to reformulate the local nutrition products to be low- salt, suger and fat foods.

The campaign further seeks to change the nutrition-related behaviors in the community to become healthier, reduce the consumption of salt, sugar and harmful fats, in addition to improve the morbidity rates associated with these products such as obesity, diabetes and pressure.