FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Sarjo Camara Singhateh
5 December 2007
Serrekunda — The Senior Principal Officer of the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA), Mr. Amat Bah, said the importance of Iodine could not be overemphasised. He said Iodine is an essential element (mineral) needed in small amounts for growth and development, especially the brain.
He said that the lack of adequate intake of Iodine has several health consequences which together is called Iodine Deficiency Disorders.
Mr. Bah was making presentation on the topic 'Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) control' during the Agency's training with National Assembly Members.
He said Iodine Deficiency Disorders could cause enlarged thyroid glands (Goiter).
He said Iodine could be found in food and water; that the amount in plants and plant products depends on the contents in the soil, and also in seafoods, such as lobsters, shrimps, fish, oysters, sea snails and crabs.
He explained that Iodine Deficiency Disorders is caused by the low content of the mineral in some diets. He went on to say that the daily requirement is very small ranging from 100-150ug per and only about a teaspoon is needed for one's entire life.
Mr Bah gave a report of the iodine situation in The Gambia from 1999 to 2004. He said the median urinary iodine (ug) is 4.18, total goiter rate 16.3% and house-hold iodized salt consumption are 9.0% in 1999 and 13.3% in 2004. On global prevalence, Mr. Bah said Iodine Deficiency Disorders affect an estimated 1.6 billion people in more than 130 countries around the world of which 60 million are school age children with varying degrees: 710 million from Asia, 60 million from Latin America, 20-30 million from Europe, 227 million from Africa, which is the 2nd highest prevalence in the world, second only to Asia.
The NaNA official dilated on the consequences of IDD and said it reduces IQ. He said school children living in Iodine deficient areas have on average 19 to-15 points lower IQ than those insufficient intakes areas. For reproductive failure, he said pregnant women who lack Iodine are at greater risk of spontaneous abortion, still birth and low birth weight; childhood mortality etc. He explained that Iodine deficiency kills children because of lowered defence against infections, low thyroid hormone leading to sluggishness, sleeplessness, dry skin, constipation and low productivity and that socio-economic retardation makes people mentally slower and less vigorous. He added that such people are harder to educate and motivate and therefore less productive at work.
Mr. Bah explained that pregnant women with iodine deficiency can give birth to off-springs with Cretinism, an irreversible and a severe form of mental and physical retardation; Deformism, mutism and deafness; growth retardation in children of all ages; that iodine deficiency can retard physical growth and cause goitre (the enlarged thyroid gland), an adaptation of the body to the lack of iodine. He said that although in most cases it is not serious, it could be so large to cause suffocation in some cases.
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