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'Iodine deficiency leaves third of world population at risk'
Thursday July 05, 2012 10:20:18 PM,
IANS
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Sydney: Iodine
deficiency leaves one third of the world's population exposed to
adverse health conditions that can cause everything from mild
learning difficulties to severe retardation, cretinism and
stillbirth, warns a scientist.
The warning comes from pioneering Australian medical scientist
Basil Hetzel more than 40 years after his seminal studies
illuminated iodine's essential role in brain development.
In Papua New Guinea in the 1960s, Hetzel's research team was the
first to prove that brain damage could be prevented by correcting
iodine deficiency before pregnancy, according to a Sciencealert
statement.
He went on to spearhead an international campaign working with the
World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF that has seen iodine
supplementation programmes jump from covering 20 percent of the
world's population before 1990 to around 70 percent today.
Despite the progress that has been made - it is estimated that
more than 80 million newborns have been protected from iodine
deficiency through iodised table salt alone - Hetzel says much
more work needs to be done.
"We've seen incredible success in places like China, where they
have managed to address this problem by making it a major
priority, but there are still countries, such as those in central
and western Africa, where poor infrastructure, war and low levels
of education make it harder to reach people," he added.
"There still is a real deficiency in parts of Australia. There's
good evidence that school children are affected and they are not
getting enough iodine; it's a matter of some urgency that intake
is increased," Hetzel said.
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