The world is left to us not by our PARENTS It is LENT to us by our CHILDREN

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Title: The world is left to us not by our PARENTS
It is LENT to us by our CHILDREN
extracted text: The world is left to us NOT by our PARENTS
It is LENT to us by our CHILDREN

SDA-RF-CH-1.44

We know you care for the children of India
NOW IT IS TIME TO ACT

Please write before 2#ffi^ahuaryr2W^»
To :

Secretary Health
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
Government of India
Nirman Bhavan, New Delhi - 110011

“I would be hard-hearted enough
to let the sick die ifyou can tell me
how to prevent others from falling
sick”

“Iodine deficiency is so easy to prevent
that it is a crime to let a single child be
born mentally '
ftpyped for that
reason ”,

- Mahatma Gandhi

H. Labouisse
Executive Director
UNICEF, 1978

“With 70% ofpopulation having access to iodised salt,
India, which adopted the policy of Universal Salt
Iodisation, is on the brink of elimination of IDD as a
public health problem. The decade of 90’s will be
remembered how national governments, the salt
industry, UN agencies, non-governmental
organizations, scientists and practitioners from all
sectors have collaborated in the global effort to reach
the common goal ofIDD elimination. The experience
gained from such collaborative endeavour will open
the door to new opportunities for accelerating progress
in public health. ”

Prof V. Ramalingaswami
Keynote Plenary Lecture
8th World Salt Symposium
The Hague (Netherlands)
9th May’ 2000

Universal Salt Iodisation (USI) in India :
Issues, Facts, Implications and Recommendations - 1
Issues

Facts

Implications

Recommendations

I)
Iodised
Salt
: 1) Govt, own policy decision 1) A Retrograde step, sinking 1) Continue with Universal
Compulsory OR Choice? in 1984 taken by Central 50 years of research and Salt Iodisation

Should
we
have
compulsory
Universal Salt Iodisation
(USI)
OR we should leave the
choice to consumers?

Council of Health

programme with one stroke

2) India is a signatory to
Convention on Rights of
Children and a party to
WHO/UNICEF/FAO
decisions on Universal Salt
Iodisation

2) Experience has shown
time and again in India and
elsewhere that withdrawal of
USI leads to re-occurrence of
Iodine Deficiency Disorders
and brain damage in children

3) As of now, Over 110 3) Those who are Below
countries in the world have Poverty Line and who suffer
compulsory USI
the most from brain damage
due to iodine deficiency do
not then purchase iodised
salt

4) India exports salt iodised
salt to SAARC countries and
many countries in Africa &
Asia

Universal Salt Iodisation (USI) in India :
Issues, Facts, Implications and Recommendations - 2
Issues

Facts

Implications

Recommendations

II)More employment OR 1) No ban on production of 1) NO ban on production of 1) Consolidation, expansion
unemployment ?
common salt. In fact, it is a common salt .Continue to and monitoring of existing
It is alleged that many
workers have been rendered
jobless as a result of USI

raw material for iodised salt

iodise salt as it has given rise policies for support to co
operatives
to more employment.

2) Salt Department has given
financial and technical
assistance to form co
operatives

2) Provide marketing
facilities to small scale salt
producers

3) USI has created NEW
jobs. Every salt iodisation
plant has created new
employment opportunities.
India has 850 salt iodisation
plants.

Universal Salt Iodisation (USI) in India :
Issues, Facts, Implications and Recommendations - 3
Issues

Facts

Implications

Recommendations

III) Iodised Salt:
1) Iodised salt is equally 1) People wrongly attribute 1) The misconception on
Refined
&
Packaged
OR
-------------------------- ----------- effective even if it is in crystal the rise in price of salt to price rise as a result of
Crystal and loose
form and sold in needed iodisation. In fact, the rise in iodisation should be cleared.
There
is
a
general
misconception that only
refined and packaged
iodised salt is effective

quantities from large 50 kg price is a result of refining The price rise is due to refin
and its packaging in 1 kg poly ing of salt, packaging and ad
bags
packs & advertising
vertising
2) Only 17% of 42 lakh tons 2) A total of 83% of iodised
of iodised salt is refined and salt produced in the country
available in polypacks.
is crystal salt and is sold in
needed quantities from 50
kgs bags. The poor in the
country habitually consume
only this salt.

2) Initiate a major drive for
promoting use of crystal
iodised salt packed in 50 kg
bags and sold in needed
quantities.

IV) Iodisation & increase 1) Cost of iodisation per 1) People compare the price 1) Below Poverty Line
person per year is less than of common salt sold loose population should receive
in price of salt
the price of cup of tea!
with refined, packaged and
(Only 50 paise per person per
branded salt. Compare like
There is a mistaken notion
year)
with like! The price of
that iodisation has led to
2)
Major
cost
i.e.
70%
of
both
packaged common salt and
increase in price of iodised
common
salt
/
iodised
salt
is
packaged iodised salt are
salt
for transportation and comparable.
packaging

iodised salt at subsidized
rates

2) Use Public Distribution
System specially in rural
areas for sale of iodised salt.
In fact ,over 13 states have
already done it.

Universal Salt Iodisation (USI) in India :
Issues, Facts, Implications and Recommendations - 4
Issues

Facts

Implications

V)
Universal
Salt 1) Indian scientists have 1) When there are two types
Iodisation OR Selective shown that NOT even a of salt available - common
area-specific______ salt single state or UT is free from salt and iodised salt, people
iodisation
iodine deficiency as a public mistakingly thinking it is

Recommendations
1) Continue and expand
awareness programmes on
IDD to cover all sections of
society

health problem

cheap, buy the common salt.
Not buying iodised salt will
cost their life dearer than
buying common salt.

2) Iodine deficiency is
present NOT only in subHimalayan areas BUT in
pockets all over the country.
In fact, more areas are being
identified.

2) Consumption of iodised 2) Continue with Universal
salt even for those with no Salt Iodisation
iodine
deficiency
is
TOTALLY SAFE

Where there is no iodine
deficiency reported, there is
a suggestion to leave the
choice of buying salt to
consumers

3)
Iodine
deficiency
disorders are EVEN present
in
Delhi,
Mumbai,
Chandigarh etc.

PRESS RELEASE, 8th April, 2000
This is matter of deep concern that a statement on behalf of the Prime
Minister of India has been appeared in a newspaper recently that the compulsory
iodization of the salt is going to be stopped in the country. It was also mentioned
in the report that iodization of the salt is done on the behest of certain
multinationals or the lobbies with vested interest. It is also a matter of concern
> that such an important socio-medical decision i.e. compulsory iodization of
'1 salt or removing it has been done by the Prime Minister only on sheer market
forces. Indian Medical Association strongly support of unique universal
iodization of salt throughout the country and for the same I am mentioning the
following points :
The Problem : Iodine deficiency disorders are one of the most common
public health problems throughout India. Iodine Deficiency Disorders can be
easily prevented by consuming iodized salt, Iodine Deficiency not only cause
Goitre, it can also result in implied brain development in the fetus and infant
and retarded physical and psychomotor development in the child. Even a
small amount of iodine deficiency can lower mental functioning. Iodine
deficiency is the commonest preventable cause of mental retardation in the
world.
In the last 50 years, many countries in North America, Asia, Europe and
.Oceania have successfully eliminated IDD, or made substantial progress in
its control, largely as a result of salt iodisation with potassium iodine or
potassium iodate and through dietary diversification. For example, in
Switzerland, where salt iodisation began in 1922, cretinism has been eliminated
and goiter has disappeared. There has been no evidence of any adverse
effects from iodine intake in countries with routine salt iodization.
Progress in India: Substantial progress has been made in India in the
^production of iodised salt from 3 Lakh Metric Tons in 1983 to nearly 42 Lakh
* Metric Tons in 1997. Similarly, recent IDD surveys have revealed that more
than 70 per cent of population is consuming iodised salt. Concurrently, the
total goiter prevalence and incidence of neonatal hypothyroidism have also
decreased. Estimations of urinary iodine exception levels amongst people
indifferent states indicate that they have adequate iodine intake with iodization
of salt.
Most salt is currently iodised according to reports on iodine content of salt
samples analysed and received from different states through the Monitoring
Information System (MIS) of the Salt Department. The production of iodised
salt is increasing. Assessment of Thyroid Marker among goiter prone subjects
countrywide show overall prevalence of thyrotoxicists of less than one per ten
thousand population which indicate no increase in the prevalence of
hypothyroidism among goitre zone subject to following salt iodisation. These
findings indicate successful implementation of USI programme in India.
Recently, the scientific journal “Nature” has commended the Indian Salt
iodisation Programme as one of the most successful preventive pu ic ea
programme amongst the developing countries.

INDIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (H.QS.)
IMA House, Indraprastha Marg, New Delhi - 110002
Telephones : 3318819, 3318680, 3318053, 3319009
Fax:91-11-3316270, Email: inmedici @ ndb.vsnl.net.in

Safely of Iodized Salt in 1970, the Food and Nutrition Board of the National
Academy of Sciences, USA, estimated that a daily intake of 1000 mcg of
iodine is safe. In 1980, American Medical Association noted that no adverse
physiologic reactions were observed with iodine intake up to 1000 mcg per day
in healthy adults. Average daily intake of iodine in Japan has been reported be
3000 micrograms which is 20 times more than the RDA value of 150 mcg in
India. From the average daily intake of 10 g iodine fortified salt, the estimated
availability of iodine would be 150 mcg of which aboug 30 per cent is lost
during cooking. The remaining 105 mcg is ingested and from this about 70 per
cent is absorbed by the body. This means approximately only 73.5 mcg is
absorbed per day from iodine fortified salt. This quantity when added to the
iodine consumed daily through food will be broadly comparable to the daily
physiological need of the body. Indeed urinary iodine exception studies in the
post iodisation phase show that all over the country, the level achieved following
salt iodisation is not more than 300 mcg per day. Thus the level of iodine intake
from iodised salt is safe in our country.
It is not correct to attribute skin reactions such as rashes and acne to
iodised salt, Physiological levels of iodine intake do not cause “lodism”. For
example among 20,000 children in the USA suffering from allergy during the
period 1935-1974, not single case was reported of allergic hypersensitivity to
iodine in food. Following publication in Annals of Allergy of a request for
notification of allergy to iodine, not a single report was recorded between 1974
and 1980.
Daily iodine intake of upto 1 mg, i.e. 1000 mcg, appear to be entirely safe.
Iodization of salt at a level that assures an intake of 150-300 mcg/day keeps
iodine intakes well within daily physiological needs for all population, regardless
of their iodine status. In India, daily consumption of 10 g of salt containing 15
parts per million of iodine would add a maximum of only 150 mcg of iodine.
Thus, the likelihood of exceeding an iodine intake of 1 mg/day from iodized salt
is quite small.
Whereas IDD is a public health problem in India;
Whereas it can be easily eliminated with the use of
Whereas it has been shown to be safe in India as in the rest of the world'
Whereas there have been objections raised by some ill informed groups
on iodization of salt.
Indian Medical Association requests the Prime Minister and all the
government agencies to take this important socio-medical issue having
enormous impact on the public health not lightly and the compulsory iodization
of salt should be the routine for the next century in the country which has no ill
effect and extremely beneficial to the masses.

Dr. Prem Aggarwal
Hony. General Secretary

The world is left to us NOT by our PARENTS
It is LENT to us by our CHILDREN
We know you care for the children of India
NOW IT IS TIME TO ACT

Please write before 24th January, 200#*
Secretary Health
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
Government of India
Nirman Bhavan, New Delhi - 110011
PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
PRESS NOTE

WITHDRAWAL OF RESTRICTION ON SALE OF COMMON SALT

FOR DIRECT HUMAN CONSUMPTION
As a part of its drive to prevent iodine deficiency disorders Taking such perceptions into account, on 10.5.2000, the Central
amongst the general public, the Central Government had issued Government has issued a preliminary notification proposing a
a notification w.e.f. May 1998 making a mandatory for all future withdrawal of the compulsory statutory iodisation of *■
manufacturers of edible salt to iodise their product. However, edible salt. The preliminary notification has prescribed a period I.
over a period of time, a strong view has been expressed that of 45 days for receipt of views and suggestions of the general
such a public health measure should not be enforced through public in this regard. After expiry of this period of 45 days, the
statutory provisions. It has been widely perceived that any Government will consider all the views received and take a
initiative in this regard to beneficial components of diet should final decision in regard on this issue.
be propagated through wide-spread publicity and dissemination
of information. It has been argued that, on a point of principle, Ministry ofHealth & Family Welfare, (Department ofHealth)
compulsion in such matters of individual choice, is undesirable. New Delhi, Vaisakha 21,1922, May 11, 2000

Printed at Sona Printers Pvt. Ltd. B-181,Okhla Ph-I, N.D/20. Ph.:6811313- 21

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