Progress in Elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders in Zimbabwe- A Program Coverage

Abstract

Objectives: To report on a post 21-year program implementation progress towards elimination of iodine deficiency as a public health problem in Zimbabwe. Methods: A national goiter survey done in Zimbabwe 1988 indicated the existence of iodine deficiency disorders as a severe public health problem. In 1993, a salt iodization strategy was initiated. Levels of salt iodization were set at 25 to 55 ppm as potassium iodate. A monitoring framework was set to monitor Iodine consumption in salt. Evaluation was done after 21 years of implementation following a descriptive cross-sectional study design survey. 1648 urine samples were collected from children 6 -12 years and tested for urinary iodine concentration. Salt samples from the households where the children came from were also tested for the presence of Iodine using rapid salt test kits and titration methods. Results: Following a 21 year-post salt iodization program, median UI of 185 μg /l; and 3% of urine samples had UI level less than 50 μg/l and 15.5% of urine samples had UI level less than 100 μg/l. 10% of the children had urinary iodine level above 300 μg/l. 94%, of the salt was iodised. However, 32,6% of the salt had excessive iodine content above 55 ppm. Conclusions: Implementation of salt iodization program resulted in the elimination of iodine deficiencies as a public health problem in Zimbabwe. However the proportion of households who used effectively iodized salt in Zimbabwe was still low. There remains high percentage of salt with excessive levels of iodine, warranting monitoring fortification at production level.