LGUs urged to protect pregnant women from iodine deficiency disorders with policies supporting universal salt iodization
To protect their constituents who are pregnant or of reproductive age from iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs), local government units in Central Visayas are urged to develop new policies or ensure enforcement of existing ones that support universal salt iodization (USI). This call comes as the country observes Goiter Awareness Week in the last week of January.
The National Nutrition Council (NNC) Region VII recommended policies that regulate the fortification of salt with iodine; ensure equitable access for all population groups particularly women needing iodine-fortified salt; regulate the salt quality and content of products by food producers and distributors; and strengthen nutrition program leadership and local nutrition committees.
Iodine is a trace element needed for the synthesis of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland. These hormones are important in the growth, development, and control of metabolic processes in the body. Lack of iodine can lead to iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) like goiter, as well as irreversible brain damage in the fetus and infant and retarded psychomotor development in children.
Dr. Parolita A. Mission, Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator of the NNC Region VII, pointed out that the most susceptible group for IDDs is women of reproductive age, whose neonates are at high risk of irreversible mental impairment if the women are iodine deficient before giving birth. Another susceptible group is women providing breast milk to their children, as this may be the only source of iodine during the first six months of their children’s life.
The World Health Organization (WHO) endorses the USI, which ensures that all salt for human and animal consumption is iodized (including salt for food processing), as a global strategy to eliminate IDDs. The Philippines has adopted this strategy and institutionalized it through Republic Act No. 8172, An Act for Salt lodization Nationwide (ASIN Law).
WHO explained that the USI mandated by clear legislation and implemented successfully is an equitable strategy of reaching most of the population. The USI program can be monitored, allowing adjustments in the fortification level and making it more sustainable.
Eliminating the risk of IDDs among pregnant women and women of reproductive age through the USI, particularly through food fortification and dietary supplementation, is a nutrition-specific initiative that supports the desired outcome of the 2023–2028 Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN), which is reduction in all forms of malnutrition.