| August IDD Newsletter features Iodine deficiency during pregnancy | Aug 13 2010 |
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August IDD Newsletter features Iodine deficiency during pregnancy The new quarterly IDD Newsletter is now online. The lead article explains the recent global focus on iodine deficiency during pregnancy. Iodine is critical for optimal fetal development. Yet 38 million newborns in developing countries every year remain unprotected from the lifelong consequences of brain damage associated with iodine deficiency. Other issue highlights include reports from the U.S., Bosnia and Herzegovina, New Zealand, Italy and Serbia. Read More |
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| Women salt producers in Senegal "lead the charge" against iodine deficiency | Aug 09 2010 |
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Women salt producers in Senegal "lead the charge" against iodine deficiency "Iodine deficiency is a major problem in Senegal where it causes birth defects in children and goitre in adults," reports ReliefWeb, a service of the UN World Food Program. Read More |
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| China tightens fortification range in iodized salt | Jul 28 2010 |
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China tightens fortification range in iodized salt
China has proposed tightening the range of allowable iodine fortification in its iodized salt from 20-60 ppm to 20-30 ppm, CRIEnglish.com has reported. Public comments will be accepted until September 12. Read More |
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| ADB report highlights Central Asian progress on micronutrient nutrition | Jul 24 2010 |
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ADB report highlights Central Asian progress on micronutrient nutrition
Disease caused by major micronutrient deficiencies posed a growing and urgent problem for the newly emerging countries of Central Asia in the 1990s. The Asian Development Bank responded with a regional food fortification initiative - the first major initiative using public-private partnerships to address public health problems in the region. See the full ADB report. Read More |
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| China presses ahead on salt iodization, dismisses concern of excess iodine | Jul 13 2010 |
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China presses ahead on salt iodization, dismisses concern of excess iodine China's health ministry held a press conference July 12 renewing their commitment to providing iodized salt throughout the country and "refuted concerns of excessive iodine intake, Xinhua reported. Read More |
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| Blog for Self Magazine suggests US food processors use iodized salt | Jul 13 2010 |
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Blog for Self Magazine suggests US food processors use iodized salt "Experts worry that reducing salt will lead to iodine deficiency" headlined the new SELFNutritionData blog, noting the "irony" of the U.S. pioneering in salt iodization in the 1920s and rehearsing that "the American Thyroid Association is worried that if the sodium police get their way and people really start cutting back on salt, thyroid problems and birth defects could be an unintended consequence." Read More |
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| ICCIDD Board bestows Basil Hetzel Award on Nicholas D. Kristof of NY Times | Jul 12 2010 |
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ICCIDD Board bestows Basil Hetzel Award on Nicholas D. Kristof of NY Times Nicholas D. Kristof of the New York Times is the winner of the inaugural winner of the Basil Hetzel Award for his understanding and advocacy of “the crucial role of micronutrients and the model achievements of iodized salt in meeting the challenge of sustainable, adequate iodine nutrition.” The award was approved by the Board of Directors of the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) at its meeting in Alexandria, VA on June 24. “The Award carries a cash prize, but rules of the New York Times maintain the paper’s strict policy of not allowing its journalists to accept cause-related awards,” explained ICCIDD chairman Dr. Gerard Burrow, a former dean of the Yale University School of Medicine. Mr. Kristof has informed Dr. Burrow that he had to decline the award. The Hetzel Award singled out Mr. Kristof’s role in stimulating sympathy and commitment for the cause of iodine nutrition, particularly for children and women. He has popularized understanding of the ‘hidden hunger’ of micronutrient malnutrition and has called the attention of millions to the role of iodized salt in his column ‘Raising the World’s I.Q.’ Without his work, the world would know far less about the findings of the Copenhagen Consensus which rates the cost-benefit ratios of various public health interventions and has determined that iodizing salt and fortifying other foods with micronutrients is an unrivaled public investment opportunity, at only pennies per year per person, ICCIDD’s Board noted. The ICCIDD Hetzel Award recognizes “the person making the most significant public reportage of iodine deficiency disorders and the necessity of sustainable national programs” anywhere in the world. Dr. Basil Hetzel, a founder of ICCIDD 25 years ago, has been at the forefront of the global campaign to overcome iodine deficiency and its associated mental impairment. His efforts have firmly established the causal role of iodine deficiency in brain damage to newborns and the imperative of iodine nutrition. “Effective journalists understand the importance of putting a ‘human face’ on news reportage,” Burrow added. “Mr. Kristof’s understanding of the crucial contribution of salt iodization, happily, has been married to his compassion and communication skills. His stories from South Asia and West Africa have universal application, enormous power and compelling character. Like Basil Hetzel, Mr. Kristof has seen an important problem, taken time to understand the problem and its causes, and projected himself in leadership to make the world a better place for us all.” The International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) is the only international organization specifically constituted to promote optimal iodine nutrition and the elimination of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). ICCIDD's multidisciplinary global network consists of over 600 specialists from more than 100 countries. Read More |
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| CDC scientists highlight US iodine deficiency among pregnant women | Jun 24 2010 |
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CDC scientists highlight US iodine deficiency among pregnant women This week's headline in The Journal of Nutrition headlined work from scientists at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention: "Some subgroups of reproductive age women in the United States may be at risk for iodine deficiency." US iodine intakes have plummeted from 320 micrograms/day to less than 150 and pregnant women average only just above the deficiency threshold of 150 (at 143). Read More |
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| US iodine levels "a worry": American Thyroid Association | Jun 19 2010 |
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US iodine levels "a worry": American Thyroid Association Writing in the June 10 New England Journal of Medicine, members of the American Thyroid Association affirmed that "Iodized salt is an important source of dietary iodine in the U.S. and worldwide. Iodine, essential for the synthesis of thyroid hormones, is obtained solely through diet," and warned that "Americans' iodine levels have decreased 50 percent over the past three decades." They called on "commercial food manufacturers" to begin the use of iodized salt. Bloomberg Businessweek has the full story. Read More |
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| China celebrates 17 years of progress with National IDD Day and high-level forum | Jun 09 2010 |
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China celebrates 17 years of progress with National IDD Day and high-level forum More than 100 high-ranking officials and global iodine experts gathered for a one-day forum in Beijing May 15 to celebrate China's 17th National IDD Day. Read the full ICCIDD report on the meeting. Read More |
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| Australian Thyroid Foundation urges pharmacists to show leadership on iodine nutrition | Jun 04 2010 |
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Australian Thyroid Foundation urges pharmacists to show leadership on iodine nutrition The Australian Thyroid Foundation has sent out information packs to pharmacies around Australia to help them discuss the importance of adequate iodine intake, including supplementation, with their pregnant and breastfeeding customers, Pharmacy News reports. Read More |
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| Today, May 25, is World Thyroid Day | May 25 2010 |
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Today, May 25, is World Thyroid Day The European Thyroid Association and American Thyroid Association etablished World Thyroid Day, May 25, back in 2008 to promote public awareness of thyroid disease. Thyroid disease, today the most widely occurring endocrine disorder, represents a rapidly growing problem round the world. It afflicts millions of people, affecting their daily life, increasing morbidity, reducing productivity and deteriorating the quality of life. In babies and children thyroid disease impacts the growth and development of the brain and body. Read More |
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| ICCIDD advocates before World Health Assembly | Jun 07 2010 |
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ICCIDD advocates before World Health Assembly ICCIDD chairman Jerry Burrow spoke May 21 before the World Health Assembly of the UN World Health Organization reminding delegates -- national health ministries -- of their commitment to provide status reports every 3 years on their progress against IDD. The WHA passed a resolution affirming the importance of micronutrient nutition, especially for children. Read More |
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| May IDD Newsletter features progress and challenges in Iraq, Europe, elsewhere | May 21 2010 |
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May IDD Newsletter features progress and challenges in Iraq, Europe, elsewhere Top features in the just-released May edition of ICCIDD's IDD Newsletter examine progress and remaining challenges in war-emergent Iraq and the widespread pockets of iodine deficiency throughout Europe. Read More |
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| Sri Lanka elevates nutrition policy, cites iodine success | May 06 2010 |
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Sri Lanka elevates nutrition policy, cites iodine success Sri Lanka earns kudos for prioritizing nutrition among its healthcare priorities, reports the Daily Mirror (Columbo). "The most rewarding success in one aspect of micronutrient malnutrition is that the reduction of iodine deficiency disorders has progressed to elimination status." Read More |
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| ICCIDD Asia Pacific Region Dinner Symposium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 24 | May 04 2010 |
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ICCIDD Asia Pacific Region Dinner Symposium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 24 If you're in the (global) neighborhood, you'll want to attend the ICCIDD Asia Pacific Region's Dinner Symposium in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, May 24. The symposium will feature:
The Symposium is being conducted in conjunction with the Malaysian Endocrine & Metabolic Society annual meeting. Read More |
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| Tanzania documents progress against IDD | Apr 12 2010 |
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Tanzania documents progress against IDD A new study demonstrates a marked improvement in iodine nutrition in Tanzania, twelve years after.salt iodization. The study identifies two problems in sustaining IDD elimination in Tanzania: to better reach the areas with low coverage of iodized salt, and to reduce iodine intake in areas where it is excessive. Particular attention is needed in improving salt producers' quality control. Read More |
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| Gulf Cooperation Council countries to declare their countries free Of Iodine deficiency disorders | Mar 25 2010 |
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Gulf Cooperation Council countries to declare their countries free Of Iodine deficiency disorders
A meeting attended by experts from the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) and GCC countries was held on 18th of March in Kuwait to discuss the situation of micronutrient deficiencies in the region with focus on Iodine defiance disorder.
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| Unfinished agenda: eliminating iodine deficiency in Thailand | Mar 24 2010 |
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Unfinished agenda: eliminating iodine deficiency in Thailand Noting that "Iodine deficiency is considered the most important preventable cause of brain damage by the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Children's Fund and the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders," the Bangkok Post editorialized March 18 calling for renewed efforts in Thailand. Read More |
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| February IDD Newsletter features updated Global IDD Scorecard and progress in Sri Lanka and more | Mar 19 2010 |
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February IDD Newsletter features updated Global IDD Scorecard and progress in Sri Lanka and more Sri Lanka has created a successful salt iodization program that has reduced goiter incidence from 20.9% in 1995 to just 3.8% ten years later. That measure does not capture the full devastation of IDD, however, as another article in the February IDD Newsletter makes clear. Other stories include progress in Malaysia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Africa, use of temporary iodine supplementation strategies in areas where universal salt iodization has been hard to launch and the 2010 country-by-country IDD progress report, The Global IDD Scorecard. Read More |
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| NY Times on top investments for women's health | Mar 09 2010 |
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NY Times on top investments for women's health NY Times science writer (and blogger) Nicholas Kristoff has done another outstanding article which identifies salt iodization as a top-ranked investment in improving the health and welfare of the women of the world. Read More |
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| UAE health ministry tackles IDD | Mar 02 2010 |
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UAE health ministry tackles IDD Using a high-profile news conference in Abu Dhabi, Dr Mahmood Fikri, Executive Director for Health Policies at the Ministry of Health of the United Arab Emirates affirmed the priority of his ministry in combatting iodine deficiency disorders. Izzeldin Hussein, the ICCIDD regional official, participated in news conference.� Gulfnews.com carried the story. Read More |
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| Secretariat for IDD Elimination formed in Egypt | Feb 25 2010 |
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Secretariat for IDD Elimination formed in Egypt As a result of the Round Table "Challenges Strategies and solutions to achieve sustained elimination of iodine deficiency disorder in Egypt” organized by ICCIDD and UNICEF in March 2009, to establish the national IDD secretariat, the Government announced the reaction of a Secretariat housed in the National Nutrition Institute to coordinate all activities relating to achievement of USI and to achieve sustained Elimination of IDD. UNICEF has agreed to finance the costs for its first year. Read More |
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| Iodine supplements in pregnancy questioned | Feb 24 2010 |
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Iodine supplements in pregnancy questioned A recent article in the journal Epidemiology studies the iodine status of pregnant women, concluding that iodine is essential for maternal health and fetal development, but that women entering pregnancy with sufficient iodine from diet and iodized salt will likely not require iodine supplementation, according to a February 24 story in The Medical News. Read More |
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| Iodine deficiency in industrialized countries | Feb 24 2010 |
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Iodine deficiency in industrialized countries Dr. Michael B. Zimmerman, editor of ICCIDD's IDD Newsletter, cautions in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society that iodine deficiency is a global problem and affects industrialized countries as well as many developing countries.� He affirms there is no conflict between goals of iodizing salt and reducing overall salt consumption. Read More |
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| Progress in Bali | Feb 24 2010 |
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Progress in Bali Rogers & Hammerstein's "South Pacific" painted Bali as a tropical paradise and, in many ways, it is.� But until its iodine nutrition problem was addressed, life for many on this Indonesian island was less than optimal.� A story in the Jakarta Post recounts the achievements of English engineer David Stone. Read More |
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| Azerbaijan announces new iodized salt plant | Feb 24 2010 |
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Azerbaijan announces new iodized salt plant "Due to the high demand for iodized salt," Azerbaijan is constructing a new iodized salt plant to be completed later this year, Trend Capital announced February 11. Read More |
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| Call for IDD legislation in Pakistan | Feb 24 2010 |
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Call for IDD legislation in Pakistan The Network for Consumer Protection, a new civil coalition, apparently heavily composed of Pakastani journalists, met this week to to create awareness among different segments of society about iodine deficiency disorders, reported The Daily Times (Islamabad).� The group "demanded of the government to immediately legislate to make addition of iodine to table salt mandatory." Read More |
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| NZ says: take it with a grain of iodized salt | Feb 24 2010 |
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NZ says: take it with a grain of iodized salt New Zealand's Food Safety Agency is promoting the use of iodized salt, according to an article in TVNZ. Read More |
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| Iodizing salt best investment to avoid a "poor start to life": World Bank | Feb 24 2010 |
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Iodizing salt best investment to avoid a "poor start to life":� World Bank Harold Alderman of the World Bank estimates the payback for investments in iodizing salt to return between $12 and $30 for every dollar invested.� The study was just published in� the Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease.� Iodizing salt was judged superior to supplementing vitamin A and zinc, doing general community nutrition education or doing iron fortification. Read More |
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| Turning around Australia's iodine deficiency | Feb 24 2010 |
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Turning around Australia's iodine deficiency Australia and New Zealand may be on the other side of the globe from the U.S. and Europe, but the lessons being learned "Down Under" about cycling between iodine deficiency and sufficiency -- and back again -- have application globally, particularly in those areas which smugly assume their previous success in salt iodization have "solved" the IDD problem.� The December Endocrine News of the American Thyroid Association tells this instructive tale on pages 16-17. Read More |
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| Connie Pittman (1929-2010) R.I.P. | Jan 20 2010 |
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Connie Pittman (1929-2010) R.I.P. ICCIDD has lost a longstanding leader and inspiration. Connie Pittman passed away on January 15 at age 81. Her obituary highlighted "her dedication, especially in the fight against iodine deficiency, (which) has improved the lives of thousands of people throughout the world." Read More |
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| Tibet gears up for iodized salt | Feb 24 2010 |
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Tibet gears up for iodized salt Xinhua reports that Tibet will set up a Salt Bureau to facilitate salt iodization. Read More |
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| Pakistan's salt iodization gets consumer push | Feb 24 2010 |
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Pakistan's salt iodization gets consumer push "Large consumers" in Pakistan are formalizing an alliance using their purchasing power to enlarge the marketplace demand for iodized salt, The News (Karachi) reported January 15. Read More |
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| World's healthiest food | Jan 04 2010 |
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World's healthiest food NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof asks "What’s the most scrumptious, wholesome, exquisite, healthful, gratifying food in the world?" and answers that it's food fortified with vital micronutrients. He highlights folic acid-fortified flour and iodized salt. Read More |
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| Tibet reaches 80% household access to iodized salt | Dec 28 2009 |
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Tibet reaches 80% household access to iodized salt Rural areas of Tibet have made strong progress in adopting iodized salt, reports China Tibet Online. In 2008, 66% had access to iodized salt.� New 2009 figures show an increase to 80%. Read More |
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| November IDD Newsletter features iodine and cognition | Feb 24 2010 |
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November IDD Newsletter features iodine and cognition The November IDD Newsletter has been released, featuring stories on the role of iodine in cognition, Theodor Kocher's Nobel Prize for thyroid and goiter discoveries a hundred years ago and country profiles for Thailand, China and Fiji. Read More |
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| Brazil leads out against IDD in Lusophone countries | Nov 27 2009 |
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Brazil leads out against IDD in Lusophone countries Our thanks to Brazil's minister of health, Jos� Gomes Tempor�o, and ICCIDD consultant Herculano Araujo, for their tremendous leadership. Araujo approached the Ministry over a year ago to request favorable consideration of sharing Brazilian publications in the Portuguese language to support efforts in the global Lusophone world. Two documents are being sent to all Lusophone countries, to ICCIDD Focal Points, to UNICEF Representatives. � The documents are posted online. Read More |
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| New manual for health workers combating IDD | Nov 18 2009 |
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New manual for health workers combating IDD ICCIDD, in cooperation with UNICEF and WHO, with the leadership of WHO's Regional office for the Eastern Mediterranean, has produced a new manual to aid local campaigns to combat IDD. Read it online: Elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders: A Manual for Health Workers. Read More |
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| Indonesia mobilizes police to enforce salt iodization | Nov 14 2009 |
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Indonesia mobilizes police to enforce salt iodization Some police sport firearms, others utilize canine companions. In Indonesia, police use iodine titration kits to enforce the mandatory salt iodization statute, as headlined in a UNICEF news release this week. Read More |
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| New UNICEF report touts iodized salt | Nov 14 2009 |
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New UNICEF report touts iodized salt The U.N. Children's Fund says 8.8 million children under age five die from largely preventable causes every year. A new report finds a few simple, cost-effective interventions, including use of iodized salt, could save the lives of many children currently dying from malnutrition related illnesses. Read More |
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| PAHO panel declares no conflict between salt iodization imperative and salt reduction efforts | Nov 06 2009 |
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PAHO panel declares no conflict between salt iodization imperative and salt reduction efforts At a Washington, D.C. panel hosted by the Pan American Health Organization November 3rd, panelists representing the ICCIDD, US AID, Health Canada, PAHO, US FDA and the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) affirmed unanimously that there is no conflict between the global campaign to iodize salt and efforts in many countries to moderate salt intake levels. Read More |
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| Kenya trims iodine concentration in iodized salt | Nov 05 2009 |
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Kenya trims iodine concentration in iodized salt Responding to survey data showing relatively high iodine levels in Kenya, the country has enacted new regulations which reduce the level of iodine from 168.5 mg/kg to between 50 and 84 ppm according to Business Daily in Nairobi. Local salt producers say adjusting to the lower level will be simple and they are pleased the lower levels will save them the cost of this "expensive but extremely essential ingredient." Read More |
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| Philippines observe Food Fortification Day | Nov 05 2009 |
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Philippines observe Food Fortification Day November 7 is Food Fortification day in the Philippines by presidential executive order. Target nutrients are iodine, Vitamin A and iron, the Philippine Information Agency has announced. Read More |
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| Vietnam celebrates use of iodized salt | Nov 05 2009 |
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Vietnam celebrates use of iodized salt November 2 was the official day recognizing the importance of using iodized salt proclaimed by the government of Vietnam. Deputy prime minister Truong Vinh Trong reminded that Vietnam had made a major effort to eliminate IDD between 2001 and 2005, reaching the 90% goal. In fact, 92.3% of Vietnamese households were using iodized salt in 2005. Recent surveys, however, he reported, have shown backsliding in a number of areas. Full article in DZ Times. Read More |
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| It's official: bread "Down Under" now uses iodized salt | Oct 10 2009 |
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It's official: bread "Down Under" now uses iodized salt Bakers in Australia and New Zealand are now required to use iodized salt under Food Standards Agency of Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) regulations. The regulation extends the requirement that retail food salt be iodized and was needed because more and more meals were being prepared outside the home where non-iodized salt is commonplace. Read More |
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| Australia's experience with iodine nutrition | Sep 25 2009 |
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Australia's experience with iodine nutrition ICCIDD vice chairman and Asia/Pacific Regional coordinator Cres Eastman presented Australia's experience in discovering its "solution" to iodine deficiency, use of iodized salt, had eroded over time and needed corrective measures, reported Medical News Today. Read More |
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| Salt Symposium/Chinese Ministry of Health meetings highlight September | Sep 21 2009 |
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Salt Symposium/Chinese Ministry of Health meetings highlight September Many ICCIDD members were on hand for the 9th International Symposium on Salt held in Beijing in early September.� With all these iodine experts available, China's Ministry of Health organized a side meeting to discuss its progress and plans.� See ICCIDD Regional Coordinator Chen Zupei's report. Read More |
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| Why New Zealand uses iodized salt in bread | Sep 15 2009 |
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Why New Zealand uses iodized salt in bread Bakers will begin using iodized salt in bread this month in both Australia and New Zealand. The Science Media Centre explains why bread is being fortified with iodine. Read More |
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| August IDD newsletter hits timely topics | Sep 04 2009 |
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August IDD Newsletter hits timely topics The August IDD Newsletter is now available, featuring articles on use of iodized salt in baking, the importance of iodine in women's health and country reviews of India, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Macedonia. Read More |
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| Combat IDD: one of 3 strategies in global campaign for women | Aug 22 2009 |
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Combat IDD: one of 3 strategies in global campaign for women NY Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof equates the slavery issue of the 19th century and totalitarianism of the 20th century with 21st century's brutality and denigration of women in an August 17 piece on "The Women's Crusade." He recommends that President Obama launch a foreign aid program to educate girls in Africa and Asia, to eliminate IDD through salt iodization and to eradicate obstetric fistula, a childbirth injury that is one of the worst scourges of women in the developing world. Read More |
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| Pretell receives prestigious Horwitz award from PAHO and PAHEF | Sep 03 2009 |
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Pretell receives prestigious Horwitz award from PAHO and PAHEF ICCIDD's regional coordinator for the America's is the recipient of the Pan American Health Organization's Abraham Horwitz Award for Leadership in Inter-American Health. Created in 1975, the award recognizes public health leaders for their leadership. See PAHO's announcement and photos. Read More |
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| Denmark watches iodization level to keep population in proper intake range | Aug 22 2009 |
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Denmark watches iodization level to keep population in proper intake range You CAN get too much of a good thing. Denmark is the latest to note that adoption of iodized salt can put iodine sufficient citizens about the healthy maximum threshold, according to Reuters News Service. Read More |
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| Nepal gets India's support against unauthorized, non-iodized salt | Aug 22 2009 |
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Nepal gets India's support against unauthorized, non-iodized salt Nepal, India have agreed to extend India's aid program for its neighbor's salt iodization program, Telegraph Nepal has reported. According to 2006 data, though more than 95% of households are using salt with some iodine and 60% of the households are using adequately iodized salt. The main bottlenecks for the attainment of the USI goal in Nepal are general preference for loose crystal salt and some inflow of inadequately iodized salt across Nepal-India borders in informal trade. The crystal salt is consumed still by about 42% of households. |
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| Tamil Nadu prioritizes iodine insufficiency | Aug 22 2009 |
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Tamil Nadu prioritizes iodine insufficiency More than 153 million Indians suffer iodine deficiency disorders, yet India's third-largest salt producing state, Tamil Nadu has a high goiter incidence, 6.3% according to a report in Express Buzz in Madurai. Read More |
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| Hetzel awarded prestigious Pollin Prize for "Pioneering research in iodine deficiency" | Jun 05 2009 |
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Hetzel awarded prestigious Pollin Prize for "Pioneering research in iodine deficiency" Basil S. Hetzel, AC, MD, FRCP, emeritus professor of medicine at the University of Adelaide, Australia and the first/founding Executive Director of ICCIDD, has been honored to receive the 2009 Pollin Prize. The award ceremony was held in New York City this week. Joining Basil to celebrate the award were all four of ICCIDD's chairmen (founder John Stanbury, Basil, Jack Ling and current chair Jerry Burrow) and both surviving executive directors (Basil and current executive director David Haxton). Read More |
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| Fiji pushes for iodized salt | Aug 17 2009 |
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Fiji pushes for iodized salt Fiji faces continuing challenges in overcoming IDD. Here's the latest news, from the Fiji Times Online, of efforts to stimulate use of iodized salt. Read More |
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| Your choice: keep kids indoors or use iodized salt | Aug 06 2009 |
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Your choice: keep kids indoors or use iodized salt That's how the Salt Institute reported a story about how urban air pollution curtails brain development and how this was one-third the benefit of using iodized salt. Read More |
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| UNICEF launches salt iodization in Tajikistan | Jul 30 2009 |
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UNICEF launches salt iodization in Tajikistan Tajikistan's Rasht Valley is suffering serious economic challenges, but, undaunted, UNICEF has launched an effort to promote iodized salt by distributing test kits so homemakers can test the salt they buy in the market to ensure it is iodized, UNICEF's ReliefWeb has announced. Read More |
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| Weak monitoring, enforcement blamed for salt iodization problems in Ghana | Jul 30 2009 |
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Weak monitoring, enforcement blamed for salt iodization problems in Ghana UNICEF project leader Rebecca Ahun has diagnosed the root cause of Ghana's problem-plagued salt iodization efforts: weak government monitoring and enforcement efforts as reported by the Ghana News Agency. Read More |
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| Pakistan promotes iodized salt | Jul 14 2009 |
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Pakistan promotes iodized salt Karachi's The News (International) reported July 14 the proceedings of a thyroid awareness event sponsored by the Pakistan Endocrine Society. The story quoted Prof. Najm-ul-Islam declaring: "The use of iodised salt should be made obligatory for every citizen of the country; in a country like ours where the rate of people suffering from thyroid diseases is quite high, it is extremely vital that every household consumes only iodized salt." Read More |
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| Jordan announces long-term plan to boost iodized salt | Jul 08 2009 |
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Jordan announces long-term plan to boost iodized salt Jordan announced a new 9-year plan to expand key nutrition programs, the Jordan Times reports. The 2010-2019 National Nutritional Plan "aims to reduce the prevalence and burden of diet-related diseases by expanding existing health programs and implementing new ones," Health ministry officials said. The strategy also seeks to iodize table salt. Read More |
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| Ghana salt iodization program undercut by poorly-iodized salt | Jul 03 2009 |
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Ghana salt iodization program undercut by poorly-iodized salt The Ghana News Agency reports that ICCIDD Board member, Dr. Ebinezer Asibey of the University of Ghana, on July 2, presented a study he'd done with the Deputy Director of Public Health assessing the impact of iodized salt in several remote regions. Inadequately iodized salt is hampering achievement of sustainability, but incidence of such indicators as goiter have shown reductions form 56.4% to 10.6% over the past 13 years. Read More |
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| ICCIDD milestones noted | Jul 01 2009 |
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ICCIDD Milestones noted Since 1985, ICCIDD has provided the key leadership for a growing global partnership in addressing the challenge of overcoming IDD. Read about these milestones. Read More |
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| Malnutrition costs Malawi nearly a half billion dollars annually | Jun 12 2009 |
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Malnutrition costs Malawi nearly a half billion dollars annually Mental retardation and stunting are two prominent results of the "silent crisis" of malnutrition in Malawi which imposes a $446 million burden on that Southeast African country, according to the Ministry of Health Nutrition as reported in The Daily Times. Read More |
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| Focus on pockets of IDD in Thailand | May 29 2009 |
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Focus on pockets of IDD in Thailand Jot ASEAN asks "Where in Thailand does iodine deficiency persist? And why?" Even in countries with commendable progress, wiping out areas of persistent IDD is a worthy endeavor. Read More |
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| ICCIDD completes UAE iodine survey | May 28 2009 |
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ICCIDD completes UAE iodine survey Results of an ICCIDD survey of iodine nutrition in the United Arab Emirates has been completed and the final report is being prepared. Thanks to Izzeldin Hussein, Feroudin Azizi, David Haxton, Pieter Jooste and Gregory Gerasimov (the ICCIDD team) and the UAE national team. Read More |
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| May IDD Newsletter features ICCIDD Declaration on Optimizing Iodine Nutrition | May 27 2009 |
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May IDD Newsletter features ICCIDD Declaration on Optimizing Iodine Nutrition Articles on Cambodia, Nigeria, Pakistan and others are featured in the May 2009 IDD Newsletter, just posted. The issue also features an ICCIDD Declaration on the Importance and Safety of Optimizing Iodine Nutrition. Read More |
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| Hidden hunger in Guinea-Bissau: New York Times | May 24 2009 |
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Hidden hunger in Guinea-Bissau: New York Times Nicholas D. Kristof of the New York Times "gets It' about micronutrient malnutition, including the need to fortify salt with iodine. And he's doing a great job educating the American public as his "The Hidden Hunger" column today illustrates. His choice of Guinea-Bissau, he makes clear, is a situation of vast extent. Read More |
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| Aussie bakers reminded of new requirement to use iodized salt | May 21 2009 |
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Aussie bakers reminded of new requirement to use iodized salt FSANZ has issued a new User Guide for bakers with suggestions on how to comply with new government regulations that require their use of iodized salt in bread no later than October 9, 2009. With the User Guide comes a gentle reminder that the clock is running, reports Australian Food News. Read More |
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| American Thyroid Association annual meeting Sept 23-27 | May 08 2009 |
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American Thyroid Association annual meeting Sept 23-27 The American Thyroid Association will meet September 23-27 in Palm Beach, FL at the renowned Breakers Hotel on the Atlantic coast of Florida. ICCIDD will provide a plenary lecture and symposium during the ATA meeting on Thursday, September 24 at 8:15 am. Read More |
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| Economic & Political Weekly features analysis of India's efforts to combat IDD | Apr 30 2009 |
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Economic & Political Weekly features analysis of India's efforts to combat IDD ICCIDD South Asia Regional Coordinator, Dr. Chandrakant S Pandav, and colleagues, have published an analysis of efforts to eliminate iodine deficiency in India and called for "an alternative approach and use a different set of agents to achieve universal salt iodization," in an article in the April 25 edition of Economic and Political Weekly. Read More |
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| Nigerians "war" on IDD. See threat double that of HIV/AIDS | Apr 25 2009 |
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Nigerians "war" on IDD. See threat double that of HIV/AIDS Would that public health education could always be this helpful! The Gospel According To Okumephuna Chukwunwikezarramu carries an extended explanation of Nigera's "War against iodine deficiency disorder." Read More |
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| Ethiopian health minister touts USI | Apr 13 2009 |
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Ethiopian health minister touts USI Ethiopia is on track to providing iodized salt to its entire 77 million population by 2010, health minister Dr. Theodros Adhanom said in March at a ceremony launching a new iodized salt facility, as reported by WaltaInfo.com. Read More |
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| China: Wise beyond her years | Apr 01 2009 |
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China: Wise beyond her years America's National Public Radio (NPR) ran a March 30 story about a Chinese college sophomore who returned to her home village, got herself elected mayor, and instituted an aggresive reform program including using iodized salt. Read More |
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| UAE wants to confirm IDD-free achievement | Mar 30 2009 |
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UAE wants to confirm IDD-free achievement The United Arab Emirates is seeking confirmation that its salt iodization efforts have overcome IDD in that Gulf state, according to a story released by the Emirates News Agency. Read More |
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| Bolivia touts 91% iodized salt access, continuing need | Mar 30 2009 |
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Bolivia touts 91% iodized salt access, continuing need
INFODECOM�ran a March 9 story about IDD in Bolivia. It explained that "iodine deficiency in the diet, ... causes disorders in iodine deficiency, among them goiter, cretinism and retarded growth and stature."
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| February IDD Newsletter features Latin America, IQ impact | Mar 13 2009 |
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February IDD Newsletter features Latin America, IQ impact The February IDD Newsletter has been distributed and is posted on our website. Articles focus on the challenges in Latin America and the impact of iodized salt in enhancing IQ of newborn infants. Read More |
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| Iodine Network Board meets, tours in India: top target in combatting IDD | Mar 01 2009 |
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Iodine Network Board meets, tours in India: top target in combatting IDD The ICCIDD is represented on the Board of The Network for the Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency and ICCIDD chair Jerry Burrow and executive director David Haxton were on hand in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India for the Network board meeting recently (other ICCIDD Board members also serve on the Network board). This story from One World South Asia was among many reporting the priority of India in the international effort to overcome IDD. The report continues: Read More |
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| Most US prenatal multivitamins lack iodine: NEJM letter | Feb 26 2009 |
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Most US prenatal multivitamins lack iodine: NEJM study Elizabeth Pearce of the Boston University Medical Center reports in the Feb. 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine that 51% of US prenatal multivitamins contain NO iodine. This despite the fact that prenatal iodine nutrition is the key to avoiding IDD. Read More |
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| More resources to combat IDD in Congo | Feb 26 2009 |
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More resources to combat IDD in Congo Noting that 13% of Congolese are iodine deficient, the European Commission announced Feb. 24 a grant of €6 million for nutrition programs in the country, ReliefWeb reports. Read More |
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| Uganda's first lady touts iodized salt progress | Feb 24 2009 |
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Uganda's first lady touts iodized salt progress Good nutrition is a key to improving the lives of Ugandans and informed citizens are the key to improving nutrition according to Uganda's first lady, Janet Museveni in an editorial column in Kampala's Daily Monitor. She said she was "encouraged to note that in Uganda we now commonly consume iodized salt." Read More |
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| Drumbeat of positive iodine nutrition news in India | Feb 02 2009 |
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Drumbeat of positive iodine nutrition news in India "Salt—one of the cheapest commodities going and used universally—is being used as a vehicle to deliver key micronutrients, reports the Feb. 3 LiveMint.com Indian outlet of the Wall Street Journal.� Noting that "Just a pinch can deliver a big punch," the article quotes Micronutrient Initiatve's Luc Laviolette on the cost effectiveness of salt iodization. Read More |
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| Angolan USI campaign gets a boost | Feb 02 2009 |
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Angolan USI campaign gets a boost Promoting universal salt iodization (USI) in Angola's central Huambo province got a boost, Agencia Angola Press reported Feb. 2, when its Salt Iodization Technical Commission announced stepped-up effort to promote public awareness of iodized salt, including demonstrations in schools. Read More |
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| Filipinos warned of IDD's threat to infants | Feb 01 2009 |
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Filipinos warned of IDD's threat to infants ICCIDD board member Dr. Teofilo San Luis was the quoted expert in a story, "Iodine deficiency affects babies, says expert" airing today on Manila's ABS-CBN News urging pregnant women to consume adequate iodine to ensure their new babies have fully-developed brains. Read More |
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| Overcoming IDD: it's not just about goiter | Jan 31 2009 |
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Overcoming IDD: it's not just about goiter It was about a quarter century ago that ICCIDD was founded to lead a re-orientation of public health response to the broad problem of iodine malnutrition. The challenge: to re-educate people that the real threat is impaired mental development, not the aethetics of visible goiter. Progress has been made. This story from a remote Indian village "gets it," saying IDD is " the single-largest preventable cause of mental retardation in the world." That's the message! Read More |
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| Iranian women key impetus for public health, iodine nutrition | Jan 31 2009 |
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Iranian women key impetus for public health, iodine nutrition Media stories routinely explore cultural aspects of the role of women in Iranian society. A recent Time Magazine story on "Tehran's Health Patrol," takes a deeper look at the contributions of a group of local women who are the key ingredient in advancing Tehran's public health agenda, including promoting salt iodization. Read More |
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| "Eradicate the 'next diabetes' -- thyroid disease" through USI | Jan 08 2009 |
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"Eradicate the 'next diabetes' -- thyroid disease" through USI |
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| Fiji launches iodine survey | Jan 01 2009 |
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Fiji launches iodine survey |
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| Don't beware these Greeks or their gift | Dec 29 2008 |
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Don't beware these Greeks or their gift |
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| Phillipines broadens IDD message from goiter to brain health | Dec 28 2008 |
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Phillipines broadens IDD message from goiter to brain health |
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| November IDD Newsletter features UNICEF, WHO progress reports | Dec 08 2008 |
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November IDD Newsletter features UNICEF, WHO progress reports The new IDD Newsletter features reports from UNICEF and WHO as well as country reports from Cameroon, India, the US, Thailand, the Congo and China. Read More |
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| REQUIRED READING: Salt iodization: a "boring" way to add 1 billion IQ points to man's intelligence | Dec 04 2008 |
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REQUIRED READING: Salt iodization: a "boring" way to add 1 billion IQ points to man's intelligence Nicholas D. Kristof reviews the enormous paybacks of salt iodization in an op ed piece in today's New York Times, "Raising the World's I.Q." He advises President-elect Obama to invest in salt iodization and other micronutrient fortification. Read More |
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| Nutrition still a dream in India; USI unenforced | Dec 01 2008 |
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Nutrition still a dream in India; USI unenforced A report in the December 2 issue of The Times of India finds malnutrition resisting community efforts. Seventy percent of children surveyed were anemic and 40% undernourished. With regard to iodized salt, the report elaborates:
Clearly, there's work to be done! Read More |
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| Sri Lanka salt industry privatization sets stage for iodization progress | Dec 01 2008 |
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Sri Lanka salt industry privatization sets stage for iodization progress Columbo, Sri Lanka's Sunday Times has an informative review of the salt industry in that country showing how the privatization and modernization of the industry leads to progress in USI. Read More |
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| East African USI strategy reviewed, refined | Oct 25 2008 |
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East African USI strategy reviewed, refined ICCIDD executive director David Haxton has filed a report on a recent ICCIDD-sponsored workshop for 10 East African country USI teams in Arusha, Tanzania. ICCIDD organiized the workshp in cooperation with UNICEF and ECSA (The East and Central African Ministers of Health Assocation). The meeting reviewed country situations and approved revised strategies to overcome current obstacles. Read More |
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| Pakistanis attack IDD as "silent killer" | Oct 24 2008 |
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Pakistanis attack IDD as "silent killer" While "goitre is perhaps the only visible condition caused by iodine deficiency, others being lethargy, low level of physical energy and low intelligence"... (r)esearchers have demonstrated that school performance of children with proper iodine intake increases remarkably. Iodine is vital in supporting proper mental development of children. Its deficiency can cause irreversible mental retardation."� So reads a story in the October 24 issue of The News in Pakistan. Read More |
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| IDD among identified causes of miscarriages | Oct 22 2008 |
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IDD among identified causes of miscarriages About one in five pregnancies end in miscarriage and new research suggests a third of them could be the result of an overactive immune system, Dr Siobhan Quenby of Liverpool University concludes, as reported in The National in the United Arab Emirates. Other major causes are age (women over 40 are much more likely to miscarry) and iodine deficiency. Read More |
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| Australia finalizes mandate of iodized salt use in bread | Oct 13 2008 |
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Australia moved quickly to harmonize its requirement that bread-makers begin using iodized salt in their products on September 1, 2009. The rule was published in the country's official Gazette on October 9. Thus, both Australia and New Zealand will impose the new requirements on the same schedule. Read More |
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| Focus on IDD in Europe in new IDD Newsletter | Sep 10 2008 |
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Focus on IDD in Europe in new IDD Newsletter Many find it surprising that IDD persists in Europe given the modern salt industry that services much of that market and the relative affluence of regional economies. But persist it does as explained in the August 2008 issue of IDD Newsletter. Read More |
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| Total success in Mongolia | Sep 06 2008 |
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Total success in Mongolia After a slow start in the early 1900's, the Land of Eternal Sky, Mongolia, has reached near total success in Universal Salt Iodication goals. Over 88% of all households in the landlocked Central Asian Country (See ICCIDD map) have access daily to adequately iodized salt. This is a significant achievement considering the dispersion of the population with only one major urban center, vast expanses of prairie with nomadic peoples and small villages far from each other. More. Read More |
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| "Steady progress" against IDD in Africa: WHO | Sep 05 2008 |
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"Steady progress" against IDD in Africa: WHO WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, in a report to African health ministers gathered in Yaoundé, Cameroon, noted: "Although no country in the Region has severe IDD, insufficient or excessive iodine intake nevertheless persists in many countries." Sambo's recommendations mirror ICCIDD's: stimulate advocacy to build political support by mobilizing multi-sectoral coalitions and "updating and enforcing existing legislation and policies on salt iodization," according to a report in Medical News Today. Read More |
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| Cameroon to host regional WHO meeting | Aug 30 2008 |
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Cameroon to host regional WHO meeting The Regional Committee of WHO, comprised of all Member States of WHO in Africa, will meet in Yaounde, Cameroon. On the agenda is a range of priority issues for consideration among which the steady, but challenging, progress to achieve USI and eliminate IDD. A major feature of the Meeting will be to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the landmark Alma Ata Conference on Primary Health Care using progress on IDD elimination as an example of PHC at work. ICCIDD Regional Coordinator Dr. Daniel Lantum will attend and work with the delegates to improve reporting on progress as called for by the World Health Assembly Resolution requiring mandatory reporting on iodine nutrition nationally. Read More |
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| Rwanda grapples with micronutrient malnutrition, including iodine | Aug 30 2008 |
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Rwanda grapples with micronutrient malnutrition, including iodine In Rwanda, a country whose challenges continue to be daunting, there are hopeful signs of action to break the vicious cycle imposed by micronutrient malnutrition, allAfrica.com reports. Read More |
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| U.S. public warned about need for iodized salt | Aug 23 2008 |
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U.S. public warned about need for iodized salt Often when discussing the need for iodized salt, the message is directed outside the developed world, leading Americans, Europeans and Australians, for example, to think IDD is someone else's problem. A news study reported in Reuters gets it right: adequate iodine is a crucial concern to all women of childbearing age. Read More |
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| Ghana reaches 49% iodized salt access | Aug 14 2008 |
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Ghana reaches 49% iodized salt access A UN study of health indicators in Ghana found that 49% of Ghanaian households have access to iodized salt and 32% are actually using it, reports the Ghana News. Read More |
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| Australian Academy of Sciences committee advocates for iodized salt in bread mandate | Jul 31 2008 |
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Australian Academy of Sciences committee advocates for iodized salt in bread mandate A July 28 news release from the Australian Academy of Sciences reported that the ASA called on Australia's food industry to implement the new government mandate for use of iodized salt in bread. The committee cited "growing concerns about iodine deficiency in women and children" in Australia. Read More |
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| Take time to add a comment? | Jul 28 2008 |
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Take time to add a comment? Today's Wall Street Journal featured an article by Bjorn Lomberg on behalf of the Copenhagen Collaboration offering thoughts on "how to get the biggest bang for $10 billion." The article invites readers to share their perspective. Currently, the Copenhagen Collaboration ranks salt iodization as the third most cost effective public health. Perhaps you want to join the discussion. Read More |
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| UAE turns to ICCIDD to launch its campaign against IDD | Jul 25 2008 |
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UAE turns to ICCIDD to launch its campaign against IDD
The United Arab Emirates and ICCIDD have signed an agreement to undertake a national survey in the 7 Emirates of the UAE which will trigger “aggressive measures” to combat IDD.
Read More
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| Invest in micronutrient/iodine nutrition to sustain growth: Nobel Prize economist | Jul 17 2008 |
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Invest in micronutrient/iodine nutrition to sustain growth: Nobel Prize economist With governments pinched between high food prices and astronomical oil prices, 2004 Nobel Economics prize-winner Finn E. Kydland has vocally advocated shunning consumer subsidies in favor of investing in sustainable growth, particularly in directing resources to micronutrient nutrition including promoting iodized salt. The International News (Karachi, Pakistan) has the story. Read More |
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| Pakistan's "national coalition" and UNICEF to partner on USI | Jul 14 2008 |
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Pakistan's "national coalition" and UNICEF to partner on USI TheNetwork for Consumer Protection and UNICEF have announced a joint campaign to promote universal salt iodization in Pakistan according to arabianbusiness.com. The joint announcement emphasized the need for close cooperation between government, salt producers, consumers, development partners and civil society to address the public health challenge of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDDs). Read More |
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| Prospective mothers using iodized salt avoid maternal thyroid failure: new study | Jul 12 2008 |
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Prospective mothers using iodized salt avoid maternal thyroid failure: new study A new study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that "Prolonged iodized salt significantly improves maternal thyroid economy and reduces the risk of maternal thyroid insufficiency during gestation, probably because of a nearly restoring intrathyroidal iodine stores." Read More |
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| American Geological Institute touts salt as "the ultimate medicinal vehicle" for IDD and infectious disease | Jul 02 2008 |
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American Geological Institute touts salt as "the ultimate medicinal vehicle" for IDD and infectious disease Iodized salt features prominently in the June cover story in Geotimes, the magazine of the American Geologicial Institute as described in this Salt Institute blog. Read More |
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| Pakistani cabinet sends USI bill to Parliament | Jun 27 2008 |
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Pakistani cabinet sends USI bill to Parliament A story in the June 27 Post, reports that Pakistan's health minister Sherry Rehman has announced that the cabinet has approved and sent to Parliament for enactment a new law ensuring production, storage, sale and distribution of iodised salt in the country. Read More |
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| UNICEF report publicizes global progress against IDD | Jun 27 2008 |
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UNICEF report publicizes global progress against IDD Thanks to a global campaign by UNICEF and its partners (ICCIDD was first-named), about 70% of households around the world are now receiving iodine through iodized salt, and 34 countries have universal salt iodization, according to a new UNICEF report, Sustainable Elimination of Iodine Deficiency, issued June 26. As recently ago as two decades, only 20% of households were receiving sufficient levels of iodine. At the time, IDD was a public health problem affecting an estimated 2 billion people. Read More |
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| Oman enforces USI | Jun 26 2008 |
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Oman enforces USI Oman has ordered the well-known NIZO salt brand removed from commerce for its failure to follow salt iodization regulations, according to Al Shabiba Omani, the local newspaper. Read More |
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| Nigeria begins crackdown on bulk salt packages to promote USI | Jun 26 2008 |
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Nigeria begins crackdown on bulk salt packages to promote USI According to Vanguard.com and the Nigerian Tribune in Lagos, agents of Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control have begun seizing illegally-large packages of salt - both iodized and plain.� New regulations require salt to be in bags 1 kg or smaller. Read More |
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| Survey shows continuing challenge in Ghana | Jun 21 2008 |
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Survey shows continuing challenge in Ghana A Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey conducted in Ghana by the Statistical Service of Ghana and the Ghana Health Service has found disturbing, continuing problems in achieving USI, a story yesterday on allAfrica.com reported. Read More |
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| Australia renews ICCIDD assistance; enables work in 8 more countries | Jun 20 2008 |
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Australia renews ICCIDD assistance; enables work in 8 more countries The Government of Australia has renewed its core grant to ICCIDD which will allow ICCIDD to undertake additional advocacy work to assure political commitment to USI and IDD Elimination in at least 8 countries.
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| PR roll-out educates Aussies on IDD and USI | Jun 08 2008 |
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PR roll-out educates Aussies on IDD and USI Expect to see stories like this from The Canberra Times as Australia moves towards implementing its decision to require use of iodized salt in bread. Read More |
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| Copenhagen Consensus rates salt iodization third most cost-effective public health intervention | Jun 07 2008 |
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Copenhagen Consensus rates salt iodization third most cost-effective public health intervention Economists convened by the Copenhagen Consensus have ranked more than 40 public health interventions to help policy-makers determine where best to apply scarce resources. Iodizing salt ranked #3. Read More |
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| May IDD Newsletter posted; features challenges in Russia | May 29 2008 |
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May IDD Newsletter posted; features challenges in Russia Read all about the challenges of bringing salt iodization to Russia...and lots more ... in the May issue of IDD Newsletter, now online. Read More |
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| Pakistan moves ahead on iodization | May 16 2008 |
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Pakistan moves ahead on iodization Refusing to be distracted by chronic political discord and the threat of radical terrorists, Pakistan's embattled government is launching a two-pronged attack on IDD. The intitiative follows discussions between the government and ICCIDD. Specifically Read More |
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| Nutritional challenges remain in Central Asia | May 07 2008 |
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Nutritional challenges remain in Central Asia Reuters features iodine deficiency among the nutritional problems challenging central Asian countries. The article features an interview with UNICEF's Arnold Timmer. Read More |
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| Pandav editorial extols national coalition for Indian USI effort | May 07 2008 |
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Pandav editorial extols national coalition for Indian USI effort Dr. Chandrakant S. Pandav, ICCIDD's Regional Coordinator for South Asia, with colleagues A. Somos-Krishnan, A. Chakrabarty and M.G. Karmarkar, are the authors of an editorial in the current (Jan-Mar 2008) edition of the Indian Journal of Public Health (password required) arguing for an effective national coalition to implement USI in India. Read More |
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| Eastman hits Australian limited salt iodization plan as "inadequate" and "half-baked" | May 06 2008 |
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Eastman hits Australian limited salt iodization plan as "inadequate" and "half-baked" The FSANZ plan to require iodized salt only in breads is "inadequate" according to ICCIDD vice-chair Dr. Cres Eastman. Eastman told the Melbourne Herald Sun that the plan "half-baked." Read More |
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| Iodized salt advances in Central Asia | Apr 16 2008 |
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Iodized salt advances in Central Asia More than 100 participants from five Central Asian countries met in Turkmenistan to plan how to accelerate progress, according to both ReliefWeb and IRIN. Read More |
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| Publicity supporting iodized salt builds in Australia | Apr 11 2008 |
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Publicity supporting iodized salt builds in Australia ICCIDD regional coordinator and Board vice-chairman Dr. Cres Eastman is featured in this early story about the need to iodize salt in Australia. FSANZ has proposed that Australian bakers, like those earlier mandated in New Zealand, should use iodized salt in bread, beginning in September 2009. Read More |
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| ICCIDD Gulf States Coordinator leads major international conference | Apr 04 2008 |
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ICCIDD Gulf States Coordinator leads major international conference With ICCIDD Gulf States coordinator Dr. Izzeldin Hussein in the chair as well as delivering a presentation on global progress towards universal salt iodization, scientists from America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia gathered in Oman March 8-10 for The International Conference on the Economic Importance of Sea Foods and their Impact on Public Health. Read More |
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| New Zealand: next phase--public education | Apr 03 2008 |
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New Zealand: next phase--public education The Times carries this story publicizing the recently-determined mandate to use iodized salt in bread. Read More |
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| FSANZ moves on iodization in Australia | Mar 31 2008 |
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FSANZ moves on iodization in Australia Having just finalized FSANZ P230 to require iodized salt in most bread in New Zealand, FSANZ announced today it will shortly commence a 4-week consultation on P1003 to put the same measure in place in Australia. Read More |
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| Progress in India, but more than half still don't use iodized salt | Mar 30 2008 |
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Progress in India, but more than half still don't use iodized salt The Hindu carried an IDD story Sunday noting that production targets for iodized salt have been reached, but 51% of the population is still not choosing to use iodized salt. Read More |
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| Ethiopian iodine efforts devastated by war | Mar 28 2008 |
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Ethiopian iodine efforts devastated by war Until its 1998-2000 war with seceeding Eritrea, Ethiopia relied on saltworks there and at least had hope of overcoming its widespread iodine deficiency. No more. Denied Eritrean salt, fully 80% of Ethiopia's population suffers from IDD as explained in this sad report. Read More |
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| FSANZ finalizes mandate of iodized salt use in New Zealand bread | Mar 22 2008 |
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FSANZ finalizes mandate of iodized salt use in New Zealand bread As promised, the Food Standards Agency for Australia and New Zealand has issued its decision requiring that breads baked in New Zealand use iodized salt.� FSANZ will continue to deliberate on whether similar requirements should be imposed in Australia. Read More |
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| February IDD Newsletter features iodine in pregnancy and infancy | Feb 28 2008 |
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February IDD Newsletter features iodine in pregnancy and infancy Enjoy the February issue of ICCIDD's IDD Newsletter featuring a review of "Reaching optimal iodine nutrition in pregnant and lactating woemn and young children." |
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| African health ministers highlight importance of ending IDD | Feb 28 2008 |
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African health ministers highlight importance of ending IDD Meeting this week in the Seychelles, health ministers from eastern and southern Africa conducted a special session on iodine nutrition and agreed that iodine deficiency is "a serious by relatively unrecognized impediment ot human development in Africa," reports Africa Science News Service. Read More |
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| Ghana designates salt a "strategic industry" and targets it for assistance | Feb 14 2008 |
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Ghana designates salt a "strategic industry" and targets it for assistance Ghana has announced steps to improve its salt industry, currently estimated to be producing only 250,000 tonnes, about 10% of its capacity. ModernGhana.com attributes the situation to "inefficient production methods, obsolete machinery, lack of capital and industry data information and weak production infrastructure." Joe Baidoo-Ansah (Minister for Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and PSI) announced recently investments in the salt industry.� He "said the salt industry had been identified as one of the strategic industries in which the country had high growth potentials" and investments "would transform the Ghanaian salt industry into an internationally competitive one." |
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| Iodized salt linked to improved child health in Indonesia | Feb 07 2008 |
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Iodized salt linked to improved child health in Indonesia US researchers writing in the February issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that two-thirds of slum-dwelling Indonesians use iodized salt and that those using the iodine-fortified salt had significantly lower infant and child mortality rates and less incidence of stunting and under-weight development. Read More |
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| Basil Hetzel is a recipient of the 2007 Prince Mahidol Award for his pioneering work on IDD | Feb 14 2008 |
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Basil Hetzel is a recipient of the 2007 Prince Mahidol Award for his pioneering work on IDD King Bhumibol Adulyadej of |
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| Iodized cheese? | Feb 05 2008 |
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Iodized cheese? Kraft Foods announced today a new food with human-safe pesticides intended to eliminate intestinal worms in tropical countries with inadequate sanitation. The New York Times story on the new food mentions how Kraft has also developed for sale in the Philippines iodine-fortified, Eden-brand cheese. Read More |
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| Lancet publishes special series on undernutrition | Feb 04 2008 |
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Lancet publishes special series on undernutrition The weight on policy priority in public health nutrition in recent years has undervalued hunger and malnutrition in favor of attacking problems associated with dietary excess. The global initiative against obesity and its consequences in terms of diabetes and heart disease is the most visible among them. The Lancet aims to restore balance to the discussion with a special series in its January 19th issue with articles on maternal and child nutrition that should kept close at hand by all supporters of adequate iodine nutrition. These articles (free but registration required) are available online, including discussions of 1) exposures and health consequences, 2) consequences for health and human capital, 3) what (intervention) works? 4) effective action at the national level and 5) why has it proven so difficult and what can be done to accelerate progress. Read More |
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| Hetzel prize reaps IDD PR | Jan 30 2008 |
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Hetzel prize reaps IDD PR Basil Hetzel's prize boosted public discussion of the IDD problem. This from Australia's national radio, ABC. Read More |
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| Nutrition an "economic imperative": World Bank | Jan 27 2008 |
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Nutrition an "economic imperative": World Bank A new series of reports in The Lancet makes it clear that "over-nutrition" has not replaced the need to ensure adquate intakes of key nutrients in the diets of those in the developing world. The Voice of America reports that iodizing salt returns $28 in health benefits for every dollar spent. Read More |
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| What a difference 25 years -- and Iodized Salt -- can make! | Jan 27 2008 |
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What a difference 25 years -- and Iodized Salt -- can make! George McBean visited Nepal in 1982 with an UNICEF team documenting the widespread prevalence of goiters, the most visible manifestation of IDD. He returned recently and found a much different situation. Read More |
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| Hetzel gets prize this week | Jan 27 2008 |
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Hetzel gets prize this week The King of Thailand will be awarding the prestigious Prince Mahidol prize this week (Jan 30) to three internationally-distinguished physicians for their lifetimes of dedicated service to improving health.� Among the three:� ICCIDD co-founder and longtime chairman Basil Hetzel of Australia.� Basil's work has inspired a renewed commitment to iodizing salt around the world, protecting millions against mental retardation caused by IDD. Read More |
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| American Thyroid Association issues call for proposals for research grants | Jan 14 2008 |
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American Thyroid Association issues call for proposals for research grants The American Thyroid Association has issued a call for proposals. ATA is funding research into better ways of diagnosing and treating throid diseases. Deadline: January 31. Read More |
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| IDD: Not just a problem in remote mountainous areas | Jan 10 2008 |
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IDD: Not just a problem in remote mountainous areas Long explained as a product of diets dependent on local foods produced from iodine-leached soils in remote mountain areas, Iodine Deficiency Disorders remain a prime health threat in urban slums, a story today from India reminds us. Nearly 24% of slum-dwelling children in Bhubaneswar had IDD, according to a new report in the Indian Journal of Paediatrics. Read More |
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| Iodized salt key to success in Kashmir | Dec 29 2007 |
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Iodized salt key to success in Kashmir Noted endocrinologist and Director SK Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar, Kashmir, India, Dr A H Zargar has publicly credited the large scale consumption of iodized salt in Kashmir as one of the reasons of the decrease in occurrence of Iodine Deficiency Disorders. Read More |
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| UN focuses on iodization progress, challenges | Dec 14 2007 |
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UN focuses on iodization progress, challenges Under the banner "A Triumph in the Making," U.N. delegates at the UNGASS II meeting held at UN headquarters, December 10-12 reviewed progress on their commitments to children. Get details. Read More |
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| Good monitoring, Vietnam | Dec 03 2007 |
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Good monitoring in Vietnam identifies needy areas Vietnam has worked hard to achieve USI and virtual elimination recognizes the need for persistent, professional and prompt monitoring to maintain success. As this new report indicates, there are places in the country not yet sufficiently protected. As a result of a good monitoring system, this situation was recognized quickly and addressed promptly.
Read More
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| India's small producers pitch in to combat IDD | Dec 02 2007 |
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India's small producers pitch in to combat IDD Collaborative efforts between local producers with small holdings, civil authority and groups, State Government and international agencies like MI, UNICEF, WFP and ICCIDD are aimed at increasing production of iodized salt by the small producers of Rajasthan, India, and results are beginning to show modest progress, reports One World South Asia. Read More |
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| November IDD Newsletter features African progress -- read it now. | Nov 28 2007 |
| November IDD Newsletter features African progress -- read it now. Read More | |
| ICCIDD's Hetzel wins Thai lifetime achievement award | Nov 27 2007 |
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ICCIDD's Hetzel wins Thai lifetime achievement award Former Chair, Executive Director and Founder of ICCIDD recognized for life achievements on iodine nutrition and protection of brain development by prestigious Mahidol Foundation in Thailand, The Nation (Bangkok) reported November 28th. Read More |
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| Partnership spurs anti-IDD effort in Sri Lanka | Nov 25 2007 |
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Partnership spurs anti-IDD effort in Sri Lanka |
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| ICCIDD Regional Coordinator honored | Nov 18 2007 |
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ICCIDD Regional Coordinator honored The World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean Region has bestowed the 2007 Kuwait Foundation Prize on Professor Fereidoun Azizi for his work combatting diabetes. Dr. Azizi directs the Endocrine Research Centre at Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Iran and is ICCIDD's Regional Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa. Congratulations! Read More |
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| Vietnam illustrates value of monitoring | Nov 06 2007 |
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Vietnam illustrates value of monitoring The disappointing news reported by WHO in Vietnam seems to indicate that access to iodized salt has been declinging in some areas. That dissapointing report, however, masks some good news. The situation was revealed by the accurate monitoring system in place by the Government of Vietnam. Read More |
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| More from the front lines in Nigeria | Nov 06 2007 |
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More from the front lines in Nigeria If actual progress on the ground is as consistent as news reports, Nigeria's success is assured. Read More |
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| Tanzania study shows broad access to iodized salt | Nov 02 2007 |
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Tanzania study shows broad access to iodized salt A study by VD Assey, et al.in the October issue of Public Health Nutrition found 83% of surveyed households in iodine-deficient areas are using iodized salt and 94% of shops offering iodized salt for sale. Overall, goiter rates have declined in these challenged districts from 65.4% of the population to 24.3%. Read More |
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| Nigeria sensitive to needs of its salt producers as it pursues USI | Nov 02 2007 |
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Nigeria advances on the home front With her "missionary work" of promoting USI in Ukraine complete, director-general Dr. Dora Akunyili of Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has turned her attention to ensuring the sustainability of her country's USI program. Continue to read the AllAfrica.com report. Read More |
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| Laos records progress | Nov 01 2007 |
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Laos records progress Sometimes it's not the statistics that catch public interest and create awareness. This recent item on New Mandala describes progress combatting IDD in Laos. Read More |
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| Ghana takes aim at IDD | Oct 29 2007 |
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Ghana takes aim at IDD Led by Jacob Armah, head of the nutrition unit of the Ghana Health Service, a new multi-stakeholder coalition is forming to combat iodine deficiency as part of a national education reform initiative. Armah told ModernGhana.com that about 81,200 babies are born annually with mental impairments as a result of such deficiencies, and suffer from stunted growth and low Intelligence Quotients (IQs), thereby impeding their learning abilities when they grow up. |
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| Central Asia advances against IDD | Oct 28 2007 |
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On October 29-30, about 100 nutrition experts will be meeting in Kazakhstan in the Third Almaty Forum on Food Fortification, brought together by the Asian Development Bank, Turkish Weekly reports. ADB has led a 6-country assault on iodine deficiency and inadequate dietary iron, investing $8.8 million (US) since 2001 in projects in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Read More |
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| A public health triumph in the making | Oct 10 2007 |
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A public health triumph in the making Meeting this week for its 78th annual meeting, the American Thyroid Association organized a special symposium on iodine deficiency to honor the late Dr. Francois Delange, former executive director of ICCIDD. The symposium was chaired by ICCIDD chair Jerry Burrow. UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kul Gautam delivered a stirring charge to delegates. Read More |
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| Nigeria's salt iodization: model for Ukraine | Oct 19 2007 |
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Nigeria's salt iodization:? model for Ukraine At the invitation of UNICEF/Ukraine Professor Dora Akunyili, Director-General of Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC),?shared her experience in achieving universal salt iodization in her country with a multi-stakeholder group in Ukraine. Read More |
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| Pakistani voices in rising demand for action against IDD | Sep 28 2007 |
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Pakistani voices in rising demand for action against IDD A public appeal in Karachi's The News September 28 illustates a rising chorus of popular awareness about the ravages of IDD and a demand that the government require universal salt iodization. Read More |
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| Bhutan's IDD success a model for other micronutrient efforts | Sep 28 2007 |
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Bhutan's IDD success a model for other micronutrient efforts Having achieved universal salt iodization in 2003, Bhutan is moving on to eradicate iron deficiency anemia -- using the momentum of its success overcoming IDD. The assessment was posted September 28. Read More |
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| Gates voices value of iodized salt, public health progress | Sep 25 2007 |
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Gates voices value of iodized salt, public health progress "Some lifesaving solutions can be extremely simple—iodized salt to prevent stunted growth, for example, or oral rehydration solutions to fight diarrhea," writes Microsoft founder and global humanitarian Bill Gates in this week's Newsweek. Gates reported great progress in providing tools and facilities to promote global health. Read More |
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| Salt iodization in Pakistan skyrockets | Sep 20 2007 |
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Salt iodization in Pakistan skyrockets In the past year, salt iodizaiton in Pakistan has jumped from 17% to 67%, spurred by a national coalition led by the UN World Food Programme, UNICEF, the Micronutrient Initiative and the Ministry of Health. Pakistan has been a particularly difficult situation and this progress is gratifying. Read more in the Daily Times. Read More |
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| Key articles in Hot Thyroidology | Sep 13 2007 |
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The September issue of Hot Thyroidology has several important articles worth reading:
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| Gates Foundation to provide iodized salt in flood-ravaged Nepal and Bangladesh | Aug 23 2007 |
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Gates Foundation to provide iodized salt in flood-ravaged Nepal and Bangladesh Monsoon rains have produced devastating floods in Nepal and Bangladesh depriving tens of thousands of children and their parents the basic necessities of life, including iodized salt. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has provided a half-million dollar grant to Save the Children for humanitarian assistance including provision of iodized salt. Read More |
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| August IDD Newsletter reports continuing progress | Aug 21 2007 |
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August IDD Newsletter reports continuing progress in the global campaign against IDD through successful national efforts in Ukraine, Italy, Equatorial Guinea, Mongolia, Cameroon, Indonesia, China, Australia and New Zealand. Read More |
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| Malnutrition kills nearly 6 million children a year | Aug 18 2007 |
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Malnutrition kills nearly 6 million children a year Malnutrition continues to be one of the most serious problems in the developing world, reports the Voice of America. VOA said a new report from the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) says malnutrition plays a role in the deaths of almost six million children each year, a large number of these deaths preventable through low-cost, highly effective, well-known interventions, such as fortifying foods with iodized salt. Read More |
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| Children in Pakistan's northwest suffer IDD | Aug 09 2007 |
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Dispatch from the front in northwest Pakistan While newspaper headlines concerning northwest Pakistan usually focus on the area as a sanctuary for Al Quaeda jihadists, a Reuters story describes the other battle raging in the area -- the campaign to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders, particularly among Pakistani children in the North West Frontier Province. Read More |
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| ICCIDD Board members join in recognizing China's salt iodization progress | Aug 05 2007 |
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ICCIDD Board members join in recognizing China's salt iodization progress ICCIDD chairman Jerry Burrow, executive director David Haxton and Board members Jack Ling, Chen Zupei and Dick Hanneman, gathered together in Beijing for the Board meeting of The Network for the Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency, participated in a half-day celebratory meeting sponsored by China's Ministry of Health recognizing the enormous -- and continuing -- advances China has made in overcoming IDD.� The meeting drew media attention to the role of iodizing salt for public health. Challenges remain in reaching remote provinces in western China and in some areas of the coast where small local salt farmers feed non-iodized salt into the consumer marketplace. Read More |
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| Uzbekistan promotes iodization | Jun 27 2007 |
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This Spring, a national Health Week nutrition education and awareness program educated 6 million Uzbeki schoolchildren in 10,000 schools in that country. Iodizing salt was prominent in the program and in the news coverage. |
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| Passing of François Delange | Jun 17 2007 |
With deep regret we announce the passing earlier today of ICCIDD's longtime Executive Director and even-longer (and current) Board member François Delange. His professional career, compassionate commitment and dedicated service in the cause of overcoming IDD cannot be over-estimated. Condolences.
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| May IDD Newsletter reports global progress | Jun 13 2007 |
| Overcoming iodine deficiency not only prevents mental retardation, but is needed for physical growth. This research report and stories of progress in places ranging from the genocide refuge camps of Darfur to an important resolution adopted by the recent World Health Assembly in Geneva highlight 20 pages of gratifying global progress against IDD in the May IDD Newsletter. | |
| Sullivan challenges ATA: iodize salt, don't rely on supplements | Jun 12 2007 |
| ICCIDD Board member Kevin Sullivan of Emory University has taken on the American Thyroid Association regarding its recommendations to improve the iodine status of pregnant and lactating women in the U.S. and Canada. Writing in the current issue of Thyroid, Sullivan argues that many women don't take supplements and, even if they started when they learned they had become pregnant, irreversible brain damage may already have been done to their unborn baby. He argued that "all household salt (as well as salt substitutes) and salt used in the food industry" should be iodized. Read More | |
| World Health Assembly approves push for salt iodization reports | May 22 2007 |
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The World Health Assembly in Geneva has just approved -- unanimously -- a resolution offered by Peru that directs national health departments to report the status of their efforts to promote universal salt iodization (USI) every three years. ICCIDD urged delegates to approve the resolution. Read More |
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| China to use subsidies to eliminate last pockets of IDD | May 21 2007 |
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One province in Northwest China is turning to subsidizing consumer purchases of iodized salt as a new means of eliminating IDD. Read More |
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| Global Network recognizes Nigeria as iodine-sufficient; first in Africa | May 18 2007 |
| With 98% of the households having access to adequately iodized salt and all salt produced in its salt plants, Nigeria has been rated iodine-sufficient by The Global Network for the Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency.? Read More | |
| Addressing vitamin A, iron deficiencies to follow successful salt iodization model | May 17 2007 |
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Organizers of the Micronutrient Forum, consisting of groups dedicated to combating shortages of dietary iron and Vitamin A, conducted a major meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, April 16-18.
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| FSANZ continues to backpedal on mandatory iodization in Australia & New Zealand | May 10 2007 |
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The Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council has pressured Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to retreat yet another step from its initial proposal to mandate use of iodized salt for food processing as well as home dietary use. Read More |
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| Iodized salt one of 21 top global solutions | May 13 2007 |
| The new May/June issue of Foreign Policy magazine poses the question: "What is one solution that would make the world a better place?" Twenty-one of the world's "leading thinkers" responded, and one of those top solutions was to iodize salt. Read More | |
| Encouraging news in Uzbekistan | May 10 2007 |
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Uzbekistan moved a step closer to an effective salt iodization program, observers agree. Read More |
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| New ICCIDD website goes live! | Mar 23 2007 |
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Welcome to ICCIDD's new website. Read More |
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| Network News | Dec 02 2006 |
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The Network for the Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiencies has a new chairman, executive director and address. Read More |
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| Feb IDD Newsletter features iodine requirements in pregnancy and infancy | Mar 13 2007 |
| The February 2007 issue of ICCIDD's IDD Newsletter has been published. It reports a technical consultation with the World Health Organization that has produced new guidelines on iodine requirements for pregnant women and infants and how the iodine status of these vulnerable groups should be monitored. | |
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The International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders is a non-profit, non-government organization for the sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency and the promotion of optimal iodine nutrition worldwide. |
News
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we announce the passing earlier today of ICCIDD's longtime Executive Director and even-longer (and current) Board member François Delange. His professional career, compassionate commitment and dedicated service in the cause of overcoming IDD cannot be over-estimated. Condolences.