Dr Werner Schultink, Executive Director Iodine Global Network; Deputy Director General Environment and Occupation Health, Ministry of Health, Dr Ananda Jayalal; Dr Renuka Jayatissa, South Asia Regional Coordinator, Iodine Global Network; Mr Zivai Murira, Regional Nutrition Advisor, UNICEF, Mr. Mohammed Siddique, Country Director, World Food Programme.
Good morning to you all.
As you know, Iodine deficiency is extremely damaging during pregnancy and in early childhood. In its most severe form, it can lead to cretinism, stillbirth and miscarriage. Even a mild deficiency can cause a significant loss of learning ability.
To combat this, WHO recommends that all food-grade salt, used in household and food processing, should be fortified with iodine.
In 1994, the Joint UNICEF-WHO Committee on Health Policy urged all countries to adopt and implement universal salt iodization (or USI). Currently, over 120 countries worldwide have successfully eliminated iodine deficiency disorders, or have made substantial progress in their control. This is largely a result of national salt iodization programmes.
As of 2023, 89% of people around the world consumed iodized salt, with huge health and social benefits to populations. USI can be considered one of the most successful public health efforts of the past thirty years, saving millions of young lives from preventable intellectual disability.
Today, USI programmes are working to consolidate and sustain these gains, and to further expand access to quality iodized salt.
Admittedly, there are challenges ahead, and I would like to offer some solutions for your consideration at this important meeting.
Amidst competing health priorities, maintaining political will is essential to sustain salt iodization efforts, and ongoing advocacy from all stakeholders remains vital.
Established USI programmes require ongoing commitment and investment from national stakeholders, industry, and donors. This is particularly important in today's resource-constrained environment. National governments must ensure sufficient financial investment for these programmes, covering the last mile and maintaining regular monitoring and surveillance.
Monitoring the levels of iodine in salt, and the iodine status of the population, are important to ensuring that the population's needs are met but not exceeded.
Considering the rising burden of noncommunicable diseases, WHO is promoting the reduction of salt intake to 5 g/day for adults as a cost-effective strategy to reduce hypertension. I must mention that the two goals are compatible: we can reduce salt intake while ensuring sufficient iodized salt intake since the concentration of iodine in salt can be adjusted as needed. Synergizing both programmes is essential, and this message must be uniformly communicated to all stakeholders and consumers.
There is growing concern in some high-income countries of declining iodine intake, in part due to changing dietary patterns and food manufacturing practices. Here in our South-East Asia region, the mandatory universal salt iodization policies in most countries should safeguard against such a decline. Nonetheless, we must remain vigilant through monitoring.
The successful implementation of salt iodization programmes has required the support of multiple stakeholders and partners. These include the Iodine Global Network, WHO, UNICEF and other international donors and stakeholders at all levels. It is a great example of the multi-sectoral partnerships which are essential to solving public health issues.
Our WHO South-East Asia Regional Office is committed to supporting the current efforts, and I wish you successful deliberations during the course of this meeting. I look forward to being appraised of the outcomes.
Thank you.