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| Annotated Bibliography |
Sustaining
Elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders in India
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| Iodine Deficiency Disorders(Including
its effects on physical & mental development) |
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Endemic goiter |
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Endemic cretinism |
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Iodised salt production, packaging & labeling |
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Iodine retention studies |
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Methods of salt iodisation |
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Programme management |
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Monitoring and Advocacy |
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Dear
Colleagues,
Iodine Deficiency Disorders and
Human Resource Development
In the last century, enlargement
of the thyroid gland - goiter - was initially reported
in endemic proportions from several regions of the world.
Goitre is prevalent not only in the mountanious regions
but also in areas of severe flooding, river deltas and
even coastal areas. The cause and consequences of endemic
goiter has been thoroughly investigated. It has been well
established that iodine deficiency causes only goitre,
research in last three decades has established that goiter
is only the visible manifestation of iodine deficiency
disorders - 'the tip of the iceberg', so to speak. The
term Iodine Deficiency Disorders(IDD) was coined to described
a spectrum of consequences of iodine deficiency that manifest
differently in various stages of life:fetus,neonate,childhood,
adolescence and adulthood. Iodine deficiency among human
populations arises from a deficiency of iodine in the
soil. This deficiency of iodine in soil leads on to deficiency
of iodine in plants grown in the soil and consequently,
the animals and humans who subsist on those plants. In
effect, Iodine deficiency is a 'disease of the soil'.
However, among all the effects of iodine deficiency
on human development, most concern is paid to the impaired
development of the brain and central nervous system in
early fetal life. These irreversible changes hamper learning
abilities, due to poor motivation to learn among school
children. This is manifest by a decrease of 13 I.Q. points
in school age children living in iodine deficient areas
are compared to those living in iodine sufficient areas.
The
primary motivation behind the current worldwide drive
to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders is that it is
the world's greatest single cause of preventable brain
damage. |
Global
Strategy : Universal Salt Iodisation
The main intervention strategy for
the control of iodine deficiency disorders - Universal Salt
Iodisation (USI) - adopted
by the World Health Assembly in 1992, and established as
a World Summit for Children mid-decade goal in 1995. Salt
has been choosen as a vehicle because of its widespread
consumption and the extremely low cost of iodisation.
Today, approximately 70% of the population in countries
affected by iodine deficiency disorders have access to iodized
salt, compared to less than 10% a decade ago.
In
India, according to the National family Health Survey-2,
it has been estimated that 71% of households in the country
consume salt that has some amount of iodine. In terms of
adequately iodised salt (salt with iodine content more than
15 parts per million (15 mg of iodine per kg of salt), the
coverage is 49%.
In
may 2000, at the World Salt Symposium in the Hague, Netherlands,
participants from United Nations agencies, governments,
intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations
and the salt industry met and agreed to collaborate in order
to make more rapid global progress towards ending iodine
deficiency forever. All efforts are being made with children
as the focus of the future. |
Who
are we?
ICCIDD(Indian
Coalition for control of iodine Deficiency Disorders) is
the Indian national arm of the International Council for
Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders. [ ICCIDD has been
recognized by the World Health Assembly as an Expert Consultative
Group on Iodine Deficiency Disorders. ] ICCIDD is an organization
of leading scientists and pioneering researchers who have
conducted laboratory, clinical and field research on iodine
deficiency disorders since 1950's.
We
are a credible, committed and cohesive group whose work
is entrenched in a spirit of collaboration, accessible &
responsive to all initiatives.
The
members of the Indian Coalition for Control of Iodine Deficiency
Disorders (ICCIDD) have played a key role in IDD elimination
programmes in India for the last fifty years, working on
different aspects of the programme in collaboration with
Government of India, and international agencies like UNICEF,
WHO, PAMM and The Micronutrient initiative.
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Why
are we embarking on this venture ?
It
has become a challenging task to keep up with the studies,
publications and work done by people in the different parts
of our country, especially those that are not covered by
the Index Medicus (The Index Medicus is a list of all medical
journals which have been indexed by the National Library
of Medicine, Washington DC, USA). Alot of valuable work
which is in the form of articles published in the journals
not included in index medicus, a large number of thesis
reports and dissertations that have been written by students,
conference abstracts, reports and proceedings, etc. are
not shared by all concerned. In this context, we have undertaken
a momentous task to compile a database on all the studies
done on iodine deficiency disorders conducted in India since
1947. We have come up with this exercise so as to collect
all the information on endemic goiter, endemic cretinism,
iodine deficiency disorders including its effect on IQ levels,
prevalence rates in different parts of the country, and
all aspects of prevention and control of iodine deficiency
disorders. This information will be compiled in the form
of an annotated bibliography on Iodine Deficiency Disorders.
Later on this information will be transferred on to a CD-ROM,
produced for free disemination to medical and other professionals.
Importantly, this will serve as an invaluable source of
reference for health professionals, medical and health science
and nutrition students, others concerned with public health. |
Request for materials
We
request you to kindly send us reprints of you/your University's/Institutions/Organization's
publication, short reports, monographs, thesis reports,
leaflets, posters, audio-visual material on endemic
goiter; endemic cretinism; iodine deficiency disorders including
its effects on physical & mental performance, defects
on speech & hearing, disorders related to muscular coordination
and reproductive & child health; iodised salt production,
packaging & labeling, iodine retention; different methods
of salt iodisation; programme management, monitoring, advocacy
and other related topics. |
The
mailing address is:
Dr.
Chandrakant S Pandav
#29, Centre for Community Medicine
All India Institute of Medical Sciences
Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029
Tel : +91-11-26863522
Fax : +91-11-26863522
Email :cpandav@iqplusin.org
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National Concern
It
is pertinent here to take note of our Prime Minister Shri
Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Independence Day 2001 speech when
he said, " Children are the most precious wealth of
our nation. Ten years ago, representing India in the World
Conference for Children , I had argued for greater investment
for all-around development of children. However, the agencies
of the Government alone cannot achieve this. I earnestly
appeal to all voluntary organizations, businesses, and common
citizens to ensure that we together enable every child in
India to develop their fullest potential" |
| Acknowledgement |
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Your
contribution will be duly acknowledged in print and electric
publications.
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Requesting
your early attention and kind co-operation. |
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Also,
kindly inform us the addresses of sources that we can
approach for the above information. |
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| Yours sincerely, |
Prof.
M.G. Karmakar
President, ICCIDD;
Former Prof. & Head Laboratory Medicine Community
A.I.I.M.S |
Dr.
C.S. Pandav
Secretary, ICCIDD;
Additional Professor
Centre for
A.I.I.M.S. Medicine,
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