Stakeholders forum on salt iodization program slated

THE National Nutrition Council in Central Visayas (NNC-7) will hold a stakeholders forum on salt iodization program on May 3 at the Cebu Grand Hotel to discuss the problem on the availability of iodized salt.

Dr. Parolita Mission, Nutrition Program coordinator of NNC-7, said monitoring done by the Department of Health showed that more households have salt that tested positive for iodine using rapid test kit. However, only 25.2 percent of household salt recorded iodine levels greater than or equal to 15 ppm (parts per million), which means only about ¼ of salt is iodized.

Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) may develop goiter, mental retardation, physical and mental defects and cretinism.

The NNC-7 has invited representatives from the salt producers, distributors and retailers and personnel from the government and  non-government sectors to participate in the forum.

The IDD situation in the region and in the Philippines will be presented in the forum. Updates on the status of the National Salt Iodization Program and the ASIN law implementation will also be discussed as well as the various issues and challenges it is facing in order to recommend possible policy adjustments and mechanisms for coordination between and among regional line agencies concerned with the program and the local government units.