A public health triumph in the making
The American Thyroid Association organized a symposium this week on iodine deficiency. The keynote speaker, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kul Gautam delivered a stirring charge to delegates that captures not only the moral imperative of universal salt iodization, but includes an outstanding historical review of the entire issue. Gautam told delegates:
IDD is the single greatest cause of preventable mental retardation. Severe deficiencies cause cretinism, stillbirth and miscarriage. But even mild deficiency can significantly affect the learning ability of populations. Scientific evidence shows alarming effects of IDD. Even a moderate deficiency, especially in pregnant women and infants, lowers their intelligence by 10 to 15 IQ points, with incalculable damage to social and economic development of nations and communities. Today over 1 billion people in the world suffer from iodine deficiency, and 38 million babies born every year are not protected from brain damage due to IDD. These 38 millions, or nearly 30 percent of the world’s newborns, come from families that are the least educated, most isolated and economically disadvantaged. The mark of a civilized society is how well it takes care of its most vulnerable and deprived communities. If we continue to fail to reach these newborns, we will be consigning them to an inter-generational cycle of poverty and injustice.