Emtenan Khoj

HS328
11/1/20

For my first artifact of public health police, I chose to use my Thursday folder
assignment. I have attached the questions we were supposed to respond to and my answers.
In this assignment, we learned how to write a public policy statement and analyze,
evaluate, and justify our responses using ethical decision. Before this assignment, I did not
have a clear idea of how to write a public police, how laws can be investigated and
evaluated, and how you can use evidences to support your claims and requests.

Instructions:
1. Read the policy statement.
2. Use the tools provided to you in class (12 Ethical Principles of Public Health and the
Procedures for Ethical Decision Making) (on the slides and passed out in class) and refer
to the reading, An Ethics Framework for Public Health (on Bblearn).
3. Think through and describe the ethics of the policy statement you selected. Include:
a. A short introduction of the policy, what it is, why it matters
b. Arrive at a decision to support or not support this policy using ethical decision
making (analyze, evaluate, justify).
c. Write as if you are writing a response to the policy, either to support or not
support it. A thorough response will take at least one page, I need to see that you
used the 3-step ethical decision-making procedure.

PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY

Reduction of the salt consumption policy statement.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) mortality has increased in the United States. These diseases

include:/ hypertension, high blood pressure, heart attack, and failure, coronary artery disease, and

stroke. Cardiovascular disease prevention, is supported by a reduced salt consumption policy

statement. Salt consumption is individual behavior that can be changed for purpose of cost-

effectiveness and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Limiting salt intake reduces the chance
of hypertension and high blood pressure. A person is recommended to consume 3 grams of salt

in a day.

According to research studies, hypertension covers the highest medical costs. Low salt

consumption will prevent these diseases hence, reduction of the medical costs. People lack

knowledge of how much salt they consume and how it can affect their health. Food labeling

especially concerning fat, salt, calories should be improved for consumer's knowledge. The

government should give recommendations on salt level intakes to food industries. This can be

done by offering incentives to the industries.

Reduction of salt consumption will lead to reduced cases of cardiovascular diseases. Salt

consumption should be reduced without compromising consumer preferences. Some of the

cardiovascular diseases for instance stroke and heart diseases cause disability. This policy

statement will reduce the number of disability cases caused by cardiovascular diseases. The

government will benefit as medical costs allocated to these diseases will be cut. Health care

professionals will not lose their patients to these cardiovascular diseases.

The policy statement: reduction of salt consumption is just and fair to all its stakeholders. The

stakeholders include:/ government, consumers, healthcare professionals (doctors and nurses), and

food companies. Despite the salt reduction policy being beneficial to consumers, it is hard to

control people's choices. I support this policy as it will help in improving a healthy lifestyle.

There is accountability in this policy.

The integration of salt reduction programs to other programs like education is just to the nutrient

manufacturers. Consumers will acquire knowledge of the effects of high salt intake on their

health. There is accountability in the salt reduction policy statement as consumers should track
their salt intake to make sure it's less than 5 grams every day. Food industries promoting the

benefits of low salt consumption in the United States will receive subsidies from the government.

The salt reduction policy statement is in line with the principle of nonmaleficence. This is

evident as the policy is against high salt intake which is harmful to consumers. It observes this

principle as the consumers are protected from these diseases which pose to be harmful to human

health. The principle of beneficence is also covered by this policy. Salt reduction policy aims to

benefit the consumers more. The policy is reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases to the

members of society. This policy will certainly improve public health concerning cardiovascular

diseases.

In conclusion, a salt reduction policy is a good approach to cardiovascular disease prevention. It

will help reduce mortality rates caused by cardiovascular diseases. This policy statement

observes the ethical principles of public health. Salt reduction policy statement plays a big role in

public health. The government should encourage salt reduction among members of society.
References

Kearney PM, Whelton M, Reynolds K, Muntner P, Whelton PK, (2015) He J. Global burden of

hypertension: analysis of worldwide data. Lancet. 2015; 365:217-23.

MB Katan, (2014) Diet, nutrition, and the prevention of hypertension and cardiovascular

vascular diseases. Public health nutrition- Cambridge.org

The Pan American Organization (2018) Policy statement: preventing cardiovascular disease in

the Americas by reducing dietary salt intake population-wide. Available at

https://www.paho.org/hq/dmdocuments/2010/red-salt-policy-statement-eng.pdf

S Yusuf (2017) Global burden of cardiovascular diseases: Variations in cardiovascular disease

by specific ethnic groups and geographic regions and prevention strategies.