Nutritional challenges remain in Central Asia |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on [PUBL_DATE] |
Reuters features iodine deficiency among the nutritional problems challenging central Asian countries. The article features an interview with UNICEF's Arnold Timmer. The relevant section follows:
"Iodine deficiency is a specific micronutrient issue for children in Central Asia because there is no iodine in the soil any more. There used to be but because of the formation of the mountains the iodine leaks out of the soil because of erosion and rainfall," Timmer said.
Iodine deficiency increased after the collapse of the Soviet Union as iodised salt was no longer produced. Since the 1990s efforts have been revitalised to implement universal salt iodisation (USI), which gained momentum after 2001 when UNICEF, with support from donors, started advocating USI.
Most Central Asian countries have tackled the problem of iodine deficiency. "We don't see iodine deficiency in Turkmenistan any more, also in Kazakhstan all salt is iodised," the UNICEF expert said.
The impact of the lack of iodine on brain development is quite severe, particularly during pregnancy when the brain cells of children are formed, according to Timmer. "We see the clinical effects in goitre - an extreme state of iodine deficiency and a visible one. But an invisible effect is reduced intelligence among the population. That's why we want the entire population to consume only iodised salt," he said.
Iodine deficiency is decreasing throughout the region, but work still needs to be done in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. "They are getting there - about 70-80 of salt is iodised. The issue is to make it sustainable on the supply side, and make sure that producers self-maintain it. And also that there is a monitoring system that the population is aware of, and that it accepts iodised salt, and national leaders are committed, but also maintain oversight of the process," Timmer said.
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