In adherence to the Presidential Proclamation No. 1188 on December 11, 2016, the National Nutrition Council Caraga, as one of the many agencies that promotes good nutrition for all, joins in the observance of the Goiter Awareness Week (GAW) celebrated every last week of January.
This year, the theme for Goiter Awareness Week (GAW) is “Leeg ay Tutukan, Goiter ay Lunasan.”
This campaign aims to disseminate the ill effects, prevention, and signs and symptoms of goiter or bosyo in Filipino. The said target is parallel with the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) that is to eliminate micronutrient deficiencies in the Philippines. To reinforce the advocacy in battling the problem of micronutrient deficiencies, specifically iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), Republic Act No. 8172 or “An Act Promoting Salt Iodization Nationwide and For Related Purposes” also known as the ASIN Law enacted in 1995.
The prevalence of thyroid function abnormalities in the Philippines is 8.53% among adults, and the most common disorder is goiter according to the 2012 Philippine Thyroid Diseases Study (PhilTiDes-1). The thyroid gland influences almost all the metabolic processes in your body through the hormones it produces. Thyroid disorders can be a harmless goiter that doesn’t require treatment and they can also be life-threatening cancer. The most common thyroid problems involve the abnormal production of thyroid hormones.
In the Philippines, iodine deficiency is the most common cause of goiter. People are commended to use iodized salts in their meals and to eat food rich in iodine such as dairy products, seafood (shellfish and seaweeds), meats, bread, and eggs. Particular attention to pregnant women because iodine deficiency during this critical period can cause premature birth, stillbirths, and miscarriages, or delivery of a baby with low intellect capacity, neonatal and juvenile thyroid deficiency, dwarfism, mental defects, deaf-mutism, and spastic weakness and paralysis, as well as physical and mental function.
The government should heighten the efforts in understanding and finding ways to address the barriers to the access and adequate use of iodized salt in Filipino households and for public awareness on the use of iodized salt. #MPRayco and JJCarrillo
