'More than half of country's population facing risk of iodine deficiency'

The Punjab Minister for Population Welfare Neelam Jabbar Chaudhry has stressed upon the doctors and paramedical staff to create awareness among the mothers, especially rural folk regarding the harmful affects of iodine deficiency in human. She said preventable diseases can be avoided through protective measures and the best approach to make the people and future generation healthy is to safe the child and mother from preventable diseases.
She said that more than half of population of the country is facing the risk of iodine deficiency, whereas, iodine deficiency could decrease a child's survival and impair his normal growth. In pregnant women, iodine deficiency causes miscarriages, still birth and other complications.
She said that children with the Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) could grow up stunted, apathetic, mentally retarded and incapable of normal movements, speech or hearing. She said that longer and severe deficiency of iodine put cause the formation of goitre and the use of iodised salt is essential to avoid these complications.
While talking to a delegation of doctors, midwives and LHWs here on Tuesday, the Minister said that children suffer from the many diseases due to non-availability of medical facilities and absence of protective measures specially deficiency of iodine, iron etc. However, the people living in remote areas are not aware of the treatment and the protective measures regarding these diseases. She asked the doctors, midwives and other paramedical staff to launch a combined awareness campaign among women and children about the harmful affects of the deficiency of iodine.
Neelam said that the government has evolved a comprehensive strategy for strengthening protective health measures through community based initiatives and she appealed the parents, teachers and Ulema to teach the common people regarding the use of iodised salt and its benefits, during their individual and joint communication. In order to achieve the targets besides using internal resources the co-operation of the donor agencies ie UNICEF & WHO are being received in this regard, she added.