Cebu City- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) turned over the latest special instrument for measurement of iodine in iodized salt WYD to the National Nutrition Council Region VII during the 2nd Regional Management Conference held last 08 April 2014 at St. Mark Hotel, Cebu City.
The conference was participated by the various Nutrition Action Officers and District/City Nutrition Program Coordinators from all over the region. Discussed during the conference were updates and existing problems on the different nutrition-focused programs including the continuous monitoring of the consumption of iodized salt regionwide.
Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) refers to the ill-effects of iodine deficiency in a population that can be prevented by ensuring that the population has adequate intake of iodine. The ASIN Law was created under Republic Act No. 8172, to contribute to the elimination of micronutrient malnutrition in the country, particularly iodine deficiency disorders through the cost-effective preventive measure of salt iodization. It requires all producers, manufacturers of food-grade salt to iodize the salt that they produce, manufacture, import trade or distribute based on the standards set by the government.
IDD being a major public health problem nationwide entails a huge need to fast track the usage of adequately iodized salt as nine out ten tested salt brands failed in the iodine testing conducted by UNICEF according to Mr. Alexander Michael Palma, focal person for universal salt iodization during the information sharing. The 2008 National Nutrition Survey revealed more than 80% of iodized salts in household kitchens were below the standards set by the government for adequate salt iodization. The same survey showed that only 35.2% of households in Central Visayas are using iodized salt.
NNC 7 Nutrition Program Coordinator, Dr. Parolita A. Mission expressed her great appreciation to UNICEF and vowed for the region thru the Regional Bantay Asin Task Force 7’s stronger and consolidated campaign towards prevention of iodine deficiency disorder in Central Visayas. //NDS
