India misses target to contain Iodine deficiency disorders
Health Systems Research India Initiative
India misses target to contain Iodine deficiency disorders
Kounteya Sinha, TNN | Apr 22, 2011, 04.04am IST
NEW DELHI: India has failed miserably in reducing Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) like brain damage, miscarriages, dwarfism and mental retardation.
By 2012, the Union health ministry's target is to reduce IDD prevalence nationally to less than 10%.
But, a survey conducted in 324 districts across the country has found that 263 districts to be endemic with IDDs, where the prevalence is pegged above 10%. The ministry also aims to ensure 100% consumption of adequate iodized salt in every household by next year.
As per a survey in 2006, only 51% of India's population consumed adequately iodated salt, 25% consumed some amount of iodated salt and the rest (24%) consumed no amount of iodated salt.
According to a 2010 evaluation, around 71% of India's population is consuming adequately iodated salt, while 29% are receiving either little or no amount of iodated salt. Consequently, around 7.1 crore Indians are suffering from IDD while 20 crore are at risk.
Alarmed, the ministry has set a new IDD target – reduction in prevalence to 5% by end of 2017. Interestingly, according to the target, under the Millennium Development Goals, the world is expected to be free of IDD by 2015.
A ministry official said, "We won't be able to fulfill our target by 2012. However, we should be able to bring down IDD prevalence by the end of the 12th Five Year Plan."
He added, "Visible goiter has reduced to less than 2.5% as against 15% a decade ago. Finally, we have got the approval to introduce hand-held salt testing kits. We will purchase 100 lakh kits this year. Health workers will be given these kits in every district to go and check the salt being consumed and identify villages where salt has no iodine."
According to experts, salt is the cheapest food item, which costs Rs 3-11 per kg. China has done a brilliant job in containing IDD because 95% of its salt production is in government sector. On the contrary, in India, 99% of salt production is done by private sector.
"Controlling IDD has been a low-priority programme till date. However, it has major societal repercussions. Out of the 26 million children born every year, as many as 13 million are at risk of IDD such as irreversible brain damage, deaf-mutism, dwarfism and severely depleted levels of efficiency and output. Children living in iodine deficient areas have an IQ level 10 to 15 points less than the average. Pregnant women, who don't consume iodized salt, risk miscarriage, stillbirth and infant deaths," officials added.
For an entire lifespan, an adult needs a tea-spoon full of iodine. In India, one fourth of salt production is for human consumption, and the rest is for industrial use.
"India requires 55 lakh tonnes of iodized salt per year, but ends up producing 240 lakh tonnes. Hence, there is no shortage. The main problem with IDD is that they are permanent," another official said.
"Consider iodized salt as a vaccine that costs 10 paise per person per year, and protects against the single largest cause of brain damage among children in India," experts suggest.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-misses-target-to-contain-Iodine-deficiency-disorders/articleshow/8052416.cms??prtpage=1
Tushar C. Mokashi
Fellow Health Care Financing
NHSRC, New Delhi
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