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World Salt Awareness Week 2012  focused on salt reduction and the prevention of stroke. The week took place  from 26 March-1 April.

Worldwide 3 million women and 2.5 million men die from stroke every year. Stroke is the third most common cause of death in developed countries.

Salt reduction and stroke prevention has been selected as the topic for World Salt Awareness Week (WSAW) 2012 because salt is the major factor that raises blood pressure and high blood pressure is the single most important risk factor for stroke.

Evidence also suggests that a high salt intake has a direct, independent effect on stroke. Salt is therefore responsible for many of the incidences of stroke. Reducing average salt intake by just 1g/day can prevent thousands of deaths from stroke every year, plus the additional thousands of events that do not result in death.

World Action On Salt and Health (WASH) was established in 2005 and is a global group with the mission to improve the health of populations throughout the world by achieving a gradual reduction in salt intake. WASH will encourage multi-national food companies to reduce salt in their products and will work with Governments in different countries highlighting the need for a population salt reduction strategy. The overall aim is to bring about a reduction in salt intake throughout the world by reducing the amount of salt in processed foods as well as salt added to cooking, and at the table.

So far WASH has 423 members from 81 countries. Members are mainly experts in hypertension, however some have other roles as well - but all have an interest in reducing salt intake in their individual countries.