Advocacy initiative to accelerate Best-Practice Trans-Fat Elimination policy in Nepal

Research shows that the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, strokes, and cancer-related diseases is on the rise in Nepal.

 These diseases are also causing an increase in mortality and morbidity rates in the younger population according to recent data. Lifestyle choices, including lack of exercise, alcohol consumption, smoking, and fatty food are some of the causes of those diseases among the younger population. Extensive medical research on the impact of fatty food on health shows that trans-fat-containing food, mainly food items prepared in industrially produced trans-fat, or in oils that are repeatedly heated are more harmful to health

. Annually over 500,000 deaths are caused by cardiovascular and other diseases worldwide due to the harmful effects of trans-fat. Nepal Heart Foundation (NHF) feels that it is extremely important and urgent to take appropriate actions to control the use of trans-fat to save lives, especially of the Nepali youth.

WHO has set a target of 2% or less of trans-fat in food by 2023; and over 40 countries have already achieved the target by implementing various programs, policies, and regulations to control it. NHF, too, has been interacting with various governmental and non-governmental agencies for the last 6 months to raise awareness of the issue as well to advocate for the control of trans-fat in foods

Recently the government of Nepal has approved the Non-communicable Diseases Multi-Sectorial Action Plan 2021-25 that includes, among others, a commitment to reducing industrially produced trans-fat levels in food items to 2% by 2023.

Additionally, the action plan has also adopted WHO’s REPLACE strategy to control trans-fat. NHF is grateful to the government of Nepal for taking these crucial steps in addressing the increasing health issues among Nepalese.