There is urgency to create public demand for “iodized salt” so as to streamline implementation of Compulsory Salt Iodization Bill adopted by the Sindh Assembly in March this year.
Senior medical experts and health department officials in a seminar organised Thursday to mark Iodine Deficiency Disorder Day 2013 said rules and regulations meant to benefit people could not be implemented without public will and understanding about its relevance.
The event organised by Unicef-Sindh in coordination with World Food Program and provincial health department was addressed by known child specialist Prof Abdul Ghaffar Billoo and Coordinator, Sindh Nutrition Cell, Dr Dur e Shawar, Additional Health Secretary, Dr Nafees Qureishi, Dr Saleem Memon from DG Health Office and others.
They were of unanimous opinion that all concerned stakeholders including consumers, owners of salt refineries, marketers and retailers must understand that iodization of salt is extremely relevant and an actually cost-effective intervention to protect people against serious health conditions.
Pregnant women suffering from iodine deficiency are not only exposed to high risk of getting their pregnancy aborted or still births, said Dr Dure Shahwar.
“In case of delivery they borne neonate with irreversible brain damage,” she added. Dr Abdul Ghaffar Biloo referred to instances of physical and mental retardation among children suffering from iodine deficiency.
We can easily protect our children against low IQ levels and save ourselves to experience trauma of rearing low learners or those with other physical and mental deficiencies, said the child specialist. “Iodine is an extremely crucial component for proper functioning of hormones in our body specifically in context of thyroid,” he said.
It was observed with concern by the speakers that while there was growing understanding among people, specifically those based in urban areas, about importance of iodine and iodinized salt yet massive demand is still to be created about the product.
They were also of the view that withdrawal of subsidy on iodinized salt must not be any reason for easy and extremely affordable availability of the product as otherwise too the essential component of iodized salt known as “potassium iodate” costs very low.
They, however, agreed that concerned businesses as part of their social responsibility must keep the margin of interest affordable for consumers in general.
The additional secretary for health said the government fully conscious of its responsibilities towards masses was in close contact with companies marketing refined and fit for human consumption salt in the province.
He said special measures were also to be taken to enhance public sensitization, across the province about importance and relevance of iodized salt for human health.
All concerned stakeholders including government authorities, people in general, healthcare providers and business community ought to play their role in easy and mandatory availability of the product, said Dra Memon.
