The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), with support from the Partnership for Healthy Cities, has engaged residents of Moshi Zongo in the Manhyia North Sub-Metropolis as part of a comprehensive citywide campaign aimed at creating awareness on excessive salt intake among residents.
The objective is to encourage residents to reduce their salt intake as part of efforts to curb the growing burden of hypertension and other salt-related non-communicable diseases in the Kumasi Metropolis.
The community durbar brought together food vendors, restaurant and hotel operators, caterers, health professionals, regulatory authorities, assembly members, traditional leaders and residents from Moshi Zongo and surrounding communities.
The engagement served as an interactive platform to educate participants on the health dangers associated with the unguarded and excessive use of salt in both commercial food preparation and household cooking.
Some departmental heads of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly used the opportunity to explain their mandates and ongoing activities to residents.
Officials from the Transport Department, Environmental Health and Sanitation, Social Welfare and the Works Department outlined interventions being implemented to improve public health, sanitation, road safety, social protection and infrastructure development.
The interaction enabled residents to ask questions and gain a deeper appreciation of how the Assembly’s work directly impacts their daily lives.
Mr Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, MCE of Kumasi, speaking at the event stressed that excessive salt consumption remained a major contributor to hypertension, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases.
He said the conditions had become some of the leading causes of death in recent times, largely driven by unhealthy lifestyles and poor dietary habits.
He urged residents, particularly food vendors and Caterers, to be mindful of the amount of salt used in food preparation and to adopt healthier cooking practices.
He emphasised that reducing salt intake required collective responsibility from individuals, families, food service operators, and institutions, adding that small changes in daily habits could significantly improve health outcomes.
Ms Zeinab Acheampong from the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) stated that the open display of salt at food joints contributes to excessive consumption and poses serious health risks to patrons.