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The Network for Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency pledges full collaboration to accelerate the progress toward universal salt iodization where needed and to ensure that nutrition will be sustained. | |||
| Without adequate iodine nutrition, the developing brain of a new born does not establish as dense a network of interconnection among the brain cells. This then limits the intellectual capability of an individual for life. The consequence of this is 10-15% lower average intellectual quotient (IQ), lower educational test sores and fewer students progressing to institutions of higher education. This loss in brainpower affects the whole national society, not just people in remote areas only. | ||||
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| The World Bank has estimated that, combined with vitamin A deficiency and iron deficiency, iodine deficiency may lower the economic wealth of a nation by as much as 5% every year. | ||||
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| Iodine is a trace element found in soil. Unfortunately, today most of the world's soils do not have sufficient amounts of iodine to allow for healthy life. Thus the only way people and animals can have adequate iodine nutrition is if iodine is added to the diet. The most efficient way to provide the balanced, correct amount of iodine each day is to iodize all salt for animal and human consumption. Recognizing the importance of this situation, the World Summit for Children in 1990 adopted the goal of virtual elimination of iodine deficiency by the year 2000. Since 1990, the percentage of household salt that is iodized has increased from less than 20% to more than 70% globally. That means that more than 80 million newborn children's brains are now protected from a more than 10% loss in learning ability. There are, however, still 30 million children born each year in iodine deficient areas around the world without this benefit. | ||||
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| For the world to reap the benefits of brighter children forever, every household in every land will need to use only iodized salt. | ||||
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| A small Secretariat has been created to facilitate the work of the Network. Requests for information or assistance should be addressed to the Network Secretariat: | ||||
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Network for Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency Secretariat |
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