Iodine Deficiency is the world’s most prevalent – yet easily preventable – cause of brain damage. Today we are on the verge of eliminating it – an achievement that will be hailed as a major public health triumph, ranking together with smallpox and poliomyelitis. Less than 20 years ago, few people realized the magnitude of the problem, let alone the solution. However, since the 1980s, WHO has been at the forefront of a worldwide public health drive to eliminate this under-publicized yet devastating deficiency. The WHO’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development (NHD) provides both technical tools – scientifically sound standards, guidelines and methodologies – and guidance to build up countries’ national salt iodization programmes. Progress has been significant since the primary intervention strategy for IDD control – Universal Salt Iodization (USI) – was adopted in 1993. Salt was chosen because it is widely available and consumed in regular amounts throughout the year, and because the costs of iodizing it are extremely low. In 1990, the World Summit for Children, UNICEF and the World Health Organization committed to virtually eliminate IDD by promoting the iodisation of salt and its use. However, to date, while global significant progress towards reducing iodine deficiency disorders has taken place over the past decade, much still remains to be accomplished.

Iodine deficiency, one of the world’s oldest and most devastating nutrition-related health problems. Iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) are the leading cause of mental retardation in the world.




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