Each year, on the 21st of October the world celebrates World Iodine Deficiency Day with hopes to intensify the efforts of educating the ordinary population as well as the governments across the globe about the significance of Iodine in the bodies of human beings and the extremely demanding repercussions of Iodine deficiency. This being one of the most influential global health challenge impacting millions of people across the world especially in the developing nations hence causing various health complications with potentially lasting effects on people in the community.
Role of iodine in Human Life
Iodine is a micronutrient that needs to be taken by the body to produce thyroid hormones which have a major role to play in metabolism, growth, and development. The thyroid gland, located in the neck, produces two primary hormones: thyroxin (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) hormones. They are essential for proper development of the brain especially in pregnancy, and childhood and for the normal metabolism in grown up persons.
Functions of Thyroid Hormones
- Metabolism: The thyroid hormones control the metabolic rate in the body when it comes to energy production and utilization. They influence activities such as the heart rate, the body temperate, as well as the rate of calories metabolism.
- Growth and Development: In pregnancy and especially in early infancy, the thyroid hormones play an important role in the development of the brain and tissues and organs development. These are the periods when iodine is most needed for preventing impairments in the intellectual development of a child.
- Reproductive Health: Thyroid hormones also affect reproductive function and include regulation of menstrual cycle,fertility and pregnancy.
Iodine Deficiency
This is a condition in which there is low supply of iodine in the food that one takes. This may be because iodine is not available in the soil or water or edible foods or meals and iodine supplements are not added to foods or meals as is the case with iodized oil. It is observed that iodine is mainly deficient in areas of low soil iodine including upland farming areas and remote or distant areas from marine water margins.
Health consequence of iodine deficiency
- Goiter: The best-known signs of iodine insufficient diet are associated with goiter, which is an enlargement of thyroid gland. Goiter develops when the thyroid gland enlarges in a bid to produce iodine that is lacking in the body. In severe form, patient’s ability to breathe and swallow can be compromised by the size of goiter.
- Cretinism: Iodine deficiency allows for cretinism a severe mental-physical developmental delay in infancy in pregnant woman. Cretinism is a permanent form of mental disability that may produce lifelong consequences for the patient.
- Cognitive Impairments: Learners with iodine deficiencies, even if these are slight to moderate, are likely to suffer from some form of learning disability that will manifest in poor performance at school. Scientific research has directly linked low levels of iodine to poor cognitive abilities, and low IQ scores in kids who might be deficient of this trace element.
- Hypothyroidism: If people lack iodine, they tend to get hypothyroidism, a form of illness that affects thyroid gland's ability to produce thyroid hormones. Hypothyroidism is manifested by fatigue, obesity, depression and cold intolerance.
Efforts to Control Iodine Deficiency in Different States across the World
Due to this realization of the effects of iodine deficiency on global health, international organizations, governments and non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and NGOs have developed and implemented a number of interventions to enhance the iodine adequacy.
Universal Salt Iodization (USI)
Universal Salt Iodization is a successful approach for eliminating iodine deficiency to be adopted worldwide. In USI, iodine is administered by iodizing table salt, which means that the bulk of the population regularly gets their iodine requirements in their food.
Example: India conducting a nationwide USI programme, the prevalence of iodine deficiency decreased, and the reduction of goiter among school children.
Schooling & Public Information Programs
To ensure that there is enough iodine in the body Governments has encouraged people to take iodine rich foods through education and awareness campaigns. Such campaigns mainly focus on groups who are most at risk of iodine deficiency, for instance expecting mothers and kids.
Example: Local Nepalese government and the NGO’s have conducted campaigns that inform the people about the uses of iodized salt for cooking and the of iodine in the growth of mother and child health.
Monitoring and Surveillance
Surveys based on monitoring and surveillance are pivotal for evaluating the iodine status of communities and early identification of those that still need iodine intervention. The first and foremost reason is that regular monitoring enables the staff of USI to check whether the offered programs are really effective and, if necessary, take corrective actions.
Example: WHO and UNICEF have developed global surveillance systems on iodine for assessing iodine status and for providing assistance to countries in promoting appropriate iodine deficiency control programmes.
Supplementation Programs
Where full implementation of USI is impossible or ineffective, iodine supplementation programmes offer a solution to the problem. These programs provide people at risk of iodine deficiency with iodine containing products including iodine tablets or iodized oil capsules.
Example: In some African countries where iodine deficiency is common, UNICEF has administered with iodine supplements to pregnant women and young children to supply their body with the iodine.
A Call to Action
About this day – World Iodine Deficiency Day increases consciousness of the fact that the problem of lack of iodine remains relevant all over the world, and concerted actions to solve it are still required. It is a day for informing and mobilising societies, engaging in efforts aimed at improving the iodine intake level.
Objectives:
- Raise Awareness: Promote the information about possibility of iodine deficiency and its impact on human’s body and health. To promote the proper use of iodized salt and iodine containing foods, educating communities on the need to take iodine in the right portions is central.
- Advocate for USI: Support the enhancement and compliance to the USI programs in the nations where iodine shortage is a threat to citizens’ health. Promote governments to implement iodine fortification policies and make iodine rich salt available to all population groups.
- Support Research and Monitoring: People should keep working on research to establish iodine levels in different populations to determine those who require intervention. Such investment enables the identification of the best approach the reduction of iodine deficiency in order to enhance the quality of health among the populace.
- Promote Education and Outreach: Support the campaigns that would involve reaching out to most at risk groups including the pregnant women, infants and school going children. Such measures can point to the practice of necessary iodine doses during the periods of human development.
World Iodine Deficiency Day in India
India celebrates World Iodine Deficiency Day on 21st October by conducting various activities to spread one of the essential nutrients, that is Iodine requirement and the effects of Iodine deficiency. It is characterized by activities such as public education campaigns, community health promotion activities, and public health intervention programs because the message has to reach everyone in the country.
Awareness Campaigns
Each year on World Iodine Deficiency Day the different governmental and non-governmental institutions release awareness programs. They include The Distribution of informational tracts, the conduct of health forums and fairs, the conduct of workshops and seminars where health issue relating to the effects of iodine deficiency on health is explained. Other stakeholders involve schools and colleges that harness ways on how they can host seminars and activities to involve students in this or that cause.
Community Outreach Programs
Public awareness activities are usually incorporated in the events. Community health volunteers go round the villages and other hard to reach areas educating people on issues to do with iodine especially iodized salt. They include free health check-ups for the people and especially checking iodine levels and advising on proper diets to take.
Public Health Initiatives
To address the issue of iodine deficiency, the Indian government in liaison with other organizations such as UNICEF and organises activities for public health awareness. Such activities consist of iodised salt utilisation focusing in reaches less reached regions and iodine containing foods encouraging in diets.
Strategies for Eradication of Iodine Deficiency in India
India has already made considerable efforts to prevent iodine-deficiency related disorders. All these have helped in the elimination of IDD and the provision of iodine to the population. Some of these are:
National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme (NIDDCP)
India started the National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Program (NIDDCP) in 1992 with the aim to totally eradicate Iodine deficiency disorders in the country. According to the program it includes usage of iodized salt, regular testing of iodine levels in the community and awareness creation. Through the NIDDCP the prevalence of IDD in the country has been scaled down to acceptable levels.
Universal Salt Iodization and Iodized Salt Programme
Universal Salt Iodization (USI) is one of the toughest measures adopted by India for the control of iodine deficiency. The policy decision to iodize all the available edible salts was taken in 1984 for India and it was initiated in 1986 and planned to be completed in 1992. Presently, India is manufacture 65 lakh metric tonnes of iodized salt per annum and this is enough for the entire population.
Public-Private Partnerships
The Indian experience shows the successful involvement of private organisations in the crusade against iodine deficiency. For example, the Tata group came up with Tata Salt — the first iodized salt in India and has helped India get relieved from the iodine deficiency problem. Due to the support including the government, private sector, as well as the international organizations, iodized salt has been made readily available throughout the country benefiting the populace health.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Periodic survey of iodine status is crucial in assessing the Iodine Deficiency Control Programmes in any country. To ensure supply of sufficient iodine, the Indian government with the help of UNICEF and IGN undertakes regulars worthiness iodine level in the population and comes out with ways and means to address the lack of it. They are useful in making decisions that guide the formulation of iodine deficiency prevention and control measures.