Speakers at a webinar on Sunday said unsafe food and poor food habits are major contributors to the rising cases of hypertension and other non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh.
The webinar, titled “Safe Food to Combat Hypertension Risk,” was organised by the research and advocacy organisation PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), was held with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), in observance of National Food Safety Day 2025.
The theme for this year’s day is “Khaddo Hok Nirapad, Shustho Thakuk Janagan(Let food be safe, let people be healthy).”
Experts said hypertension causes over 10 million deaths worldwide annually.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most of these deaths are preventable through policies promoting healthy diets.
Reducing salt intake and increasing consumption of vegetables and fiber-rich foods are key to controlling hypertension, said speakers.
The latest Bangladesh NCD STEPS Survey 2022 reveals that 37% of adults add salt to their meals, and 13% consume processed food high in salt.
Dr. Mohammad Mostafa, Member (Public Health and Nutrition) of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), said efforts are ongoing to ensure safe food through necessary law including regulations on trans fats and food labeling.
Public-private initiative needed to ensure production and supply of safe food
Dr. Nazma Shaheen, Professor at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science at Dhaka University, recommended consuming a diet rich in vegetables, nuts, and unprocessed foods, while limiting salt, sugar, and saturated fat, as per WHO guidelines to control hypertension.
Shamsun Naher Nahid, Head of Nutrition at the Department of Diet and Nutrition at BIRDEM General Hospital, highlighted the importance of reducing excess salt, saturated fat, and red meat consumption, along with adopting healthy lifestyle changes to manage hypertension.
Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh Country Lead at GHAI, stressed the need for formulating and implementing essential laws and policies to ensure food safety as well as promoting public awareness on the issue.
The webinar was chaired by ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA, and moderated by Sadia Galiba Prova, PROGGA’s Coordinator. Professionals from various fields across the country participated in the event.