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100m Chinese still suffer iodine deficiency
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-07-27 14:10
China's plan to eradicate iodine deficiency disorders by 2000 has been
frustrated by chronic shortages of the indispensable element in some areas,
health authorities said at a recent meeting.
The Chinese government launched a program in 1993 to eliminate iodine
deficiency throughout the country by 2000. It has not yet been successful, as
four provinces, two autonomous regions and one municipality failed to reach the
goal, said Liu Jiayi, an official of disease control with the Ministry of
Health.
Liu characterized the seven areas which have yet to stamp out the problem --
Tibet, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Gansu, Hainan and Chongqing -- as being
located in remote sections of the country.
China has reset its goal, planning to provide enough of the element to
everyone in the iodine-deficient areas within five years.
Around 100 million people in China, or some 8% of the population, suffer from
a deficiency of iodine. About 2 million newly born infants in the country face
the threat of iodine deficiency every year.
It is generally believed that iodized salt provides the most economic and
effective way of distributing iodine. But high shipping costs have hindered the
promotion of iodized salt in remote areas, said Lin Jiahua, deputy general
manager of the China National Salt Industry Corporation.
Lin said that iodized salt distribution networks still cannot cover some key
iodine-deficient areas.
Health education is also necessary to promote the use of iodized salt, Lin
said, as people in some iodine-lack areas are accustomed to crude salt and might
not choose iodized salt even if the product is available.
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