On May 16, 2025, a meeting of the Public Health Coordination Council was held in Kyiv

On May 16, 2025, a meeting of the Public Health Coordination Council was held in Kyiv. Olha Rudnytska, Secretary of the Board of the NGO “Ukrainian Association of Public Health”, participated in the work of the Coordinating Council.

Members of the NGO “Ukrainian Association of Public Health” submitted proposals to the protocol instructions of the Coordination Council on the following issues:

• Reducing the salt content in food produced by food producers in Kyiv

1. Creating an increased social demand among Kyiv residents for food products with reduced salt content and enriched potassium

• Organization of information support, social advertising and public education on methods of prevention and non-drug treatment of hypertension by adjusting the intake of sodium (salt) and potassium with food. Organization of permanent social advertising on radio, television, billboards, etc. on the benefits and advantages of food products with a 30-40% reduction in salt content, as well as salt substitutes enriched with potassium and a mixture of 70% sodium salt and 30% potassium salt.

Responsible for implementation: Advertising Department of the Kyiv City State Administration (KCSA),

Kyiv City Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (Kyiv City CDC).

2. Organization of work with Kyiv doctors.

• Increasing the attention of doctors to fulfill the requirements of the Clinical Protocol and Clinical Guideline of 2024 in terms of the widespread use of recommendations for the non-drug treatment and prevention of hypertension by switching to the consumption of potassium-enriched salt substitutes and foods with reduced sodium content. 
• Organization of monitoring of doctors’ activity in implementing preventive measures for hypertension in accordance with the Guidelines and Protocol 2024.

Responsible for implementation: Department of Health of the KCSA.

3. Measures to reduce the content of table salt in Kyiv’s bakery products.

• The KCSA concludes agreements (memorandums) with manufacturers on the supply of low-sodium bakery products to the Kyiv retail network.

– To support the demand for a new health product, it is advisable to approve the decision of the Kyiv City State Administration to adjust the terms of tenders for Kyiv organizations that purchase food through tender procedures. Introduce as a priority the requirement to purchase products with low salt content in food for state and municipal organizations in Kyiv. Kyiv: hospitals, schools, children’s institutions, hospitals, etc.

• Organize information support for products with reduced sodium content through social advertising.
• Introduce a regulatory decision by the Kyiv City State Administration for the city’s retail network to indicate the availability of bread products with reduced sodium content in stores.

4. Organizing a labeling system for products manufactured by the food industry with reduced sodium and enriched potassium content. 

• Introducing amendments to the legislation on food labeling to take into account new types of nutrient products: those with reduced sodium content and those enriched with potassium and other trace elements.
• Determining new salt standards for each type of product.
• Organization of selective control of sodium and potassium content in labeled food products entering the retail network.
• Introduce a mandatory requirement for Ukrainian public catering enterprises to indicate the amount of salt in each individual dish on the menu, giving the visitor the right to choose according to this indicator.

Responsible for implementation: Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Kyiv City CDC, State Food and Consumer Service of Kyiv.

5. Organize monitoring of the program implementation with periodic informing of the population of Kyiv.

Responsible for implementation: KCSA Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Department of Public Communications, Kyiv City CPC.

• Promotion of a healthy lifestyle – informational and explanatory activities as an integral part of medical prevention and organization of physical activity of the capital’s residents (adults and children) to improve health

1. Implement methodological RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HEALTHY MOTOR ACTIVITY OF SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN in educational institutions of Kyiv.

The methodological recommendations were developed by specialists of the State Institution «Marzieiev Institute for Public Health of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» (members of the NGO “Ukrainian Association of Public Health”) on the basis of scientific research to preserve and promote the health of school-age children by optimizing physical activity in both normal life and social restrictions, including during quarantine and distance learning.

These recommendations are a tool for primary and secondary prevention of diseases in children.

The scientific and methodological publication is intended for medical and pedagogical staff of educational institutions, pediatricians, family doctors, specialists in physical education and physical rehabilitation, psychologists, students of medical and pedagogical universities, parents and a wide range of specialists who care about improving children’s health.

Link to the guidelines (in Ukrainian) on the website of the State Institution «Marzieiev Institute for Public Health of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine».

https://health.gov.ua/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/recommendations_2024_7.pdf

(date of publication on the website 21.05.2025)