�Since the 1990s, Africa has made steady progress in controlling iodine inadequacy disorders (IDD), but countries need to intensify elimination efforts, advises the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo.
IDD refers to a wide range of health problems associated with inadequate consumption of i such as goitre, still birth, stunted growth, thyroid deficiency and mental defects. Pregnant women and thomas Young children living in iodine-deficient areas are particularly at risk.
"Although no country in the Region has severe IDD, insufficient or excessive tincture of iodine intake nevertheless persists in many countries," Dr Sambo says in a report presented Tuesday at the fifty-eighth session of the meeting of health ministers of the WHO African Region in Yaound� Cameroon.
The percentage of households using iodinated salt in the Region increased by 20% between 1997 and 2007, he says, but he adds that due to reduced IDD command efforts, 15% of the increase in the use of iodinated salt occurred between 1997 and 2000. Only a 5% increase was recorded between 2001 and 2007. This shows that the rate of uptake of IDD interventions has slowed down well in recent years so member states will need to refocus and catch up on lost gains for better outcomes.
Dr Sambo proposes concrete steps which African countries should take to achieve elimination of IDD in rules of order to increment children's cognitive development; reduce stillbirths and stunted growing; contribute to improving the quality of primary education; reduce child mortality, under nutrition and miscarriages; and, generally, improve maternal health.
These proposed actions include mobilization of political support and commitment at all levels through continuous advocacy and effective partnerships; reviewing, updating and enforcing existing legislation and policies on salt iodization; establishing or strengthening national multi-sectoral structures; capacity building; and mobilizing communities and public health authorities.
The Regional Director also recommended the integration of coaction with key stakeholders; reinforcement of public-private partnerships; expansion of common salt iodization programmes to get to populations at risk; mobilization of fiscal resources; and development of communication strategies.
Due attention also inevitably to be given to measuring advance towards the goals of IDD elimination through unconstipated monitoring, supply of substantive elements for IDD surveillance, and up quality control systems.
Salt iodization is relatively cheesy, according to WHO, which estimates that the cost of iodised salt is about US$ .07 per person per year, and of iodized oil, US$ .20 per year. An investment of US$ 1.00 in IDD prevention leads to a return of US$ 28.00, but administration and bestower funds are limited, as IDD programmes must contend with former priority health problems.
Currently, only Nigeria has been certified as having achieved the goal of sustained elimination of IDD in the African Region. This achievement has been possible because of a decentralized monitoring system, an efficient ultra-modern analytic laboratory, a sanitized table salt market, strict inspection and enforcement of universal iodization laws, intensive mass communication, social selling, public-private partnerships, collaboration with international organizations, and high-ranking advocacy.
http://www.afro.who.int
More info
