CEBU CITY, June 18 (PIA) --- The Department of Health (DOH-7) in collaboration with various partner agencies will conduct a soft launching on ‘Saktong Iodine sa Asin’ on June 20 in Cebu City to further promote public awareness on adequate iodine requirement in salt.
A 2008 National Nutrition Survey showed 81.1% of households used iodized salt.
But the same survey reported that only 25% of the households adequately used iodized salt.
Said survey concluded that the low iodine consumption levels contributed to the poor iodine intake among pregnant and lactating women which consequently resulted to birth of children with inadequate iodine, risk of mental loss and physical underdevelopment.
Iodine deficiency is one of the three major micronutrient deficiencies affecting Filipino children today along with Iron Deficiency Anemia and Vitamin A deficiency, according to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology.
In order to specifically address iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), the government through the DOH formulated and implemented the National Salt Iodization Program (NSIP) 2011-2016 Strategic Plan amid Philippine studies showing that about 3.6 million Filipinos are afflicted with IDD.
UNICEF stated that IDD could cause a range of abnormalities including brain damage and mental retardation.
But the most common symptom of IDD is goiter or the swelling of the thyroid gland while in its severe form is cretinism or both mental and physical disability.
Under RA 8172 otherwise known as ‘An Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide’ (ASIN), the purpose of implementing salt iodization nationwide is to contribute to the elimination of micronutrient malnutrition in the country, particularly IDDs through the cost-effective preventive measure of salt iodization. (rmn/fcr/ with reports from Mary Jane G. Conciliado, PIA-7 intern/PIA-Central Visayas)