NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE THREATENED BY IODINE DEFICIENCYExpert report notes that half of all households do not use iodized salt BANGKOK, Thailand, 2 May 2005 – The intelligence of around half the children in Thailand may be impaired by not getting enough iodine, says a new report on Thailand’s progress towards the elimination of iodine deficiency. The report, entitled A review of progress towards sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency in Thailand, notes that only 51% of households in Thailand are using adequately iodized salt, which is the internationally accepted method of ensuring sufficient iodine intake. In the northeast, this figure drops to 35%. Iodine is crucial for brain development, especially during pregnancy and in the first few years of a child’s life. In communities where iodine levels are below the recommended amount, researchers have found that people have, on average, 13.5 IQ points fewer. Median urinary iodine levels among pregnant women were only 115 micrograms per liter in 2003, the last year for which figures are available. This compares with an internationally recommended level of 150-230 micrograms. “The government will not be able to realize its promise to create a ‘knowledge society’ if it does not make sure that children get sufficient iodine,” says Inese Zalitis, UNICEF Representative in Thailand. “If we do not ensure the production and consumption of iodized salt, millions of children will be denied the right to develop to their full potential.” Iodizing salt is the best was to ensure sufficient iodine intake because it is the only food that is consumed by everyone in all social classes at roughly constant levels. Thailand currently lacks legislation that would ensure that all salt entering the human food chain is fortified with iodine, including salt for animal consumption and food processing. As a result, both iodized and non-iodized salt are available in shops and consumers must choose to buy the right product. Many salt producers are willing to add iodine to their salt- but only if their competitors do so, too. “If all producers were forced to iodize their salt, the additional cost would be negligible and there would be no need for expensive public awareness campaigns,” says Karen Codling, UNICEF Regional Nutrition Project Officer at UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific and one of the authors of the report. A review of progress towards sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency in Thailand is a collaboration between the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD), UNICEF and the World Health Organization. It reports the findings of a team of experts who assessed the situation in Thailand from 18-28 April 2004. This report and ways to ensure that all countries in the region achieve universal salt iodization and thus eliminate iodine deficiency will be discussed at a regional workshop this week. The workshop is being organized by UNICEF in Bangkok and is being held from 2-4 May at the Landmark Hotel. For more information, please contact: Pornthida Padthong
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