IMPROVE PAKISTAN’S IQ THROUGH IODIZED SALT INTAKE

<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11px;">In collaboration with UNICEF, The Network has launched a campaign &ldquo;Advocating and promoting the consumption of iodized salt to combat iodine deficiency disorders in Islamabad&rdquo; &ndash; the capital territory (ICT). The advocacy will aim at sensitizing large consumers of salt, food production outlets, health professional, consumer groups and religious leaders in ICT to opt for iodized salt as simple and easy remedy for preventable mental impairment. The campaign will focus on the critical impact of iodine deficiency, causing 10 &ndash; 15 point loss in IQ level, resulting in retarded growth, low school performance and higher school dropouts.<br />
Iodine deficiency is a public health problem in Pakistan where 50% of the population is at risk - 72% of children are iodine deficient and 2 million are born with mental impairment. According to the recent National Nutrition Survey (NNS)-2011, 64% of the county&rsquo;s population has knowledge about iodized salt but only 40% use it for cooking, 70% of households in the country cannot link it w</span><span style="font-size: 11px;">ith any problem, 26% link it with goiter while negligible (4% only) consider it as cause of intellectual impairment.</span><br />
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