UNICEF in Action
A wide scale national response toward the elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders was initiated in 1996. UNICEF, through USAID and the support of the Kiwanis organization, became a key advocate and partner for the Government in the fight against Iodine Deficiency Disorders. In February 2005, as a result of the long-standing advocacy and technical support from UNICEF-USAID, the Parliament of Georgia adopted a law on the Prevention of Iodine and other Microelement and Vitamin Deficiencies. The law bans the import and sale of non-iodized salt and effectively established grounds for food fortification policy in the country. As Georgia is 100 per cent dependent on imported salt supplies, the current law is capable of leading the country to universal salt iodization. Subsequently, the major focus of UNICEF and Georgian Government partnership in 2005 is to strengthen monitoring and quality assurance systems at all levels of the salt supply flow including import, wholesale, retail and household distribution. The Parliamentary Committee on Health and Social Affairs established a Task Force on Prevention of Micronutrient Malnutrition and Food Fortification in Georgia. The Task Force will replace the existing National Council with a more extended Terms of Reference and Membership. The Task Force will serve as a National Food Alliance, coordinating policy development, regulatory environment, advocacy, and monitoring and evaluation of food fortification programmes. Currently, the Task Force is working on a National Iron Flour Fortification programme.
Impact Attributable to collaborative efforts of the Georgian Government and UNICEF, the Salt Situation Analysis conducted in 2003, revealed promising results. The market demand on iodized salt has increased; import of iodized salt to Georgia has increased from 2,017 tons in 1999 to 34,144 tons in 2003—a 17-fold increase over a five year-period. The current volumes of import meet the total country requirement for edible iodized salt supplies. An increased import of iodized salt became a driving force for increasing availability of iodized salt at household levels. Consumption of adequately iodized salt by households increased eight-fold from 8.1 per cent in 1999 to 67 per cent in 2003. 76.8 per cent of households are aware of iodine deficiency, while 98.3 per cent of the population is additionally aware of iodized salt benefits. The overall impact of the programme is substantial. Goiter prevalence among children has decreased from 54 per cent in 1997 to 39 per cent in 2003, while the total population Iodine Deficiency Indicator has dropped from 57.7 per cent in 1997 to 44 per cent by 2003.
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