Experts Meet in Beijing to Discuss Solutions to Iodine Deficiency
BEIJING, Sept. 4 /PRNewswire-Asia/ --
More than 800 of the world's salt experts are expected to re-affirm their commitment to eliminating global iodine deficiency at the upcoming 9th World Salt Symposium in Beijing, hosted by the China National Salt Industry Corporation, a member organization of the Network for Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency.
Almost a decade ago, leaders from the salt industry, government and international agencies met and agreed to better collaborate in the effort to eliminate iodine deficiency worldwide. Saad Houry, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, reaffirmed the common goal of covering the remaining 30 percent of the world's population for whom iodized salt is not yet available.
The Symposium will be held Sept. 4 - 6 at the Beijing International Convention Centre. Mao Qingguo, General Manager of the China National Salt Industry Corporation, is this year's conference chairman. Saad Houry will be the symposium's keynote speaker.
The human body requires minute amounts of iodine in the daily diet. If iodine is not available naturally, it must be added to the diet. This is most effectively done through Universal Salt Iodization (USI) which provides that all salt provided to humans and animals be iodized. The USI strategy has been demonstrated to be effective because the science of iodine nutrition has been proven; the technology is relatively simple and low-cost; and the implementation feasible because it allows for adjustments to be made on the basis of population and environmental circumstances. Careful monitoring of the programme's impact and dedicated education of the public have been key success factors in this approach.
As USI has been established as a global standard practice, progress in eliminating IDD has been made. In the early 1990s, one in five households in the world used iodized salt. Today, more than two of three households consume iodized salt. This means that, globally, 84 million newborns are protected against iodine deficiency. This impact has resulted in universal salt iodization being named by the Copenhagen Consensus 2008 as one of the top three best investments to benefit the most people.
Yet, there is still more work that needs to be done to ensure that children and entire communities can grow healthy and prosperous, and reach their potential.
Dr. Nicholas Alipui, Director of Programmes for UNICEF and Chair of the Network for Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, emphasized the role that the salt industry can play in the global effort to protect 38 million children born each year at risk of iodine deficiency disorders.
For more information, please visit: http://www.iodinenetwork.net .
About the Iodine Network
Formally launched on May 8, 2002 at the U.N. Special Session for Children, The Network for Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency is a global alliance of public, private and civic organizations working to harmonize advocacy, technical support and assistance for national efforts to eliminate iodine deficiency (IDD) through universal salt iodization (USI). The organizations currently represented on the Network Board include UNICEF, WHO, WFP, Micronutrient Initiative, GAIN, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), Emory University, Salt Institute, EU Salt, China National Salt Industry Corporation, Tata Chemicals, Kiwanis International and the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD). The Network Secretariat, whose office resides within the Micronutrient Initiative (MI) in Ottawa, supports the work of the Network through compilation of information about IDD and USI, analyses of lessons learned and best practices, as well as monitoring and assessing progress towards USI.
