"If we look at the current studies there is no obvious correlation between the amount of salt consumed and blood pressure", Dr Resch maintains ; "Two Cochrane meta-analyses updated at the beginning of this year found no meaningful association between blood pressure and salt consumption". He pointed out that in all the existing research a strictly salt-reduced diet resulted in systolic blood pressure values decreasing only a few millimetres and this was specifically in people suffering from hypertension , not for healthy people. Dr Resch also highlighted the fact that these results where based only on short-term tests; results from long-term studies do not yet exist.

It is according to Dr Resch not justified to maintain the current guidelines stating benefits of salt reduction benefits for both hypertensive and healthy people; "The actual guidelines do not reflect the latest level of knowledge, they actually ignore it", the professor stated. He went on to point out that there are still no meaningful studies analysing the relationship between salt consumption and cardio-vascular incidents or cardio-vascular mortality.

EuSalt exists to provide authoritative information to the public and other interested parties about salt and its many uses. A further role of this non-profit organisation is to promote the right use of salt and to work in partnership with other European Institutions.

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This new Afghan talking book solution is easy to use and has been field tested to be physically rugged and educationally effective in providing important health information to the people of Afghanistan. As in most cultures, women are the health leaders in Afghan families, so the Afghan talking books were developed specifically for them. However, HHS and LeapFrog had to adapt the tools for a population that is predominately illiterate.

Prior to Afghanistan liberation, the Taliban refused to allow women and girls the opportunity to go to school or to see a doctor. Consequently, almost 80 percent of women cannot read or write, an estimated one in four children dies before his or her fifth birthday, and there are 1,600 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (as compared to the United States rate of 7.5 deaths per 100,000). By providing important public health and personal nutrition and hygiene information in this way, these 'talking books' will be an important tool in improving the overall health of Afghans.

The book presents more than 350 items of recorded information concerning 19 personal health subjects. Basic health information covered includes diet, childhood immunization, pregnancy, breastfeeding, sanitation and water boiling, treating injuries and burns, and preventing disease. The books convey everyday household situations, as well as information specific to child and reproductive health. LeapFrog's patented LeapPad technology uses stories that convey basic health lessons to bring the information to life for the readers.

HHS will initially disseminate 2,000 books to Afghan households and primary health care centers through an initial distribution program used to evaluate both usability and behavior change measures. HHS will use the results of this initial distribution to determine the best dissemination method for the 20,000 books that the United States is giving to the people of Afghanistan.

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