Domestic and international experts converged in Beijing on
Monday for a seminar on combating iodine deficiency and recent
progress in this fight. The meeting gathered officials from China's
Ministry of Health (MOH), the National Development and Reform
Commission (NDRC) and the Network for the Sustained Elimination of
Iodine Deficiency and academics, all combining to eliminate iodine
deficiency disorders (IDD) in China.
Iodine deficiency affects many regions where natural sources of
dietary iodine are lacking and is thought to affect as many as 740
million people in 130 countries. Iodine is crucial to an
individual's healthy growth and development, and any deficiency
during pregnancy and early childhood may result in forms of mental
retardation known as cretinism. It is commonplace in many parts of
China where iodine deficiency often causes swelling of the thyroid
gland at the front of the neck, also called a Goiter.
An effective solution to iodine deficiency would be introducing
compulsory and universal iodization of any salt intended for
domestic consumption. China has been a leader in this field,
bringing the number of households ingesting iodized salt up from
around 40 percent in 1995 to 90 percent in 2005. The Network Board
acknowledged this achievement at the meeting, presenting the MOH
and the NDRC with plaques lauding their accomplishments.
However, certain western and coastal provinces are still in
trouble, with over 130 million Chinese still exposed to iodine
deficiency. New cases of cretinism were identified in 2006 in areas
where iodized salt consumption remains low. UNICEF Representative
in China Dr Yin Yin Nwe said of the situation: "We met to discuss
solutions to the problems certain provinces have in reducing the
risk of iodine deficiency. Although China's achievements in raising
levels of consumption of iodized salt are outstanding, many people
here are still consuming uniodized salt."
Some communities simply cannot afford to pay for the refined and
packaged iodized salt, and prefer to consume traditional local
salt. Experts are moving to allow further alternatives to give
these communities access to adequate sources of iodine, such as
creating subsidies to bring down prices of packaged iodized salt,
strategies to extend the iodization of locally produced traditional
salt or the use of iodized oil capsules, although the latter would
be an interim measure at best.
The Chairperson of the Network Board and UNICEF Director of
Programs, Mr Alan Court, waxed confident after the meeting: "The
attendance of the Vice Health Minister and the overall quality of
debate here show the high priority with which the Chinese
government is tackling this issue. Whilst ultimately we all agree
that universal consumption of iodized salt is the best way to avoid
iodine deficiency, we know from long experience that some countries
take a long time to achieve this. The meeting today imbues me with
the hope that those Chinese citizens still at risk of iodine
deficiency will see rapid benefits from the options and ideas
discussed, stemming from the government's determination to
eradicate this problem."
(China.org.cn by staff reporter Huang Shan, July 30, 2007)