Iodine deficiency: epidemiology and nutritional prevention
Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) are present in all the continents; developing nations are most severely affected. There are 14 European countries affected by iodine deficiency, we can cite France, Belgium, Norway, Portugal and Russia whose population have a median iodine urinary excretion (IUE) under 100u.g/l. Iodine deficiency is the first cause in the world of mental retardation, but this consequence occurs with severe deficiency. The sensitivity is higher in pregnant women and young children. Median rate of iodized salt consumption in countries of Central and Eastern Europe and CIS is 50% and stay the lowest rate of all world areas. Russia reduces because it's the most populated country and only 35% of couples use iodized salt. In 2006, UNICEF counted 16 «decisive» countries which needed a supplemented help to increase their effort. These countries are important salt producers, the number of newborn babies which risk iodine deficiency is high, rate of salt iodization is small, so it's necessary to conduct a particular action to mobilize population and government and, moreover bring a technical support to renew national programs of elimination of iodine deficiency. If these 16 countries manage to universal salt iodization, world average of households which take correctly iodized salt will be about 85%. Russia takes part among these 16 «decisive» countries in fighting against IDD (the other are India, Pakistan, China, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Ukraine, Philippines, Soudan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Afghanistan, Ghana, Angola, Niger, Senegal). That's why, it's important that health sector, medias, consumers associations and salt producers work in concomitance in order to household understand the necessity of suitable daily iodine intake and in order to increase the accessibility of iodized salt.