Armenia: Prevention of Iodine Deficiencies Disorders. Annual Progress Report 2005

摘要

Iodine deficiency disorders continued to be an area of major public health concern in Armenia. After the break-up of the Soviet Union, the country stopped receiving regular imports of iodised salt from Ukraine. As a result, the prevalence of iodine deficiency disorders increased and the situation in endemic areas for iodine deficiency disorders worsened, especially in the south of the country. In 1995, the results of a joint study by the Ministry of Health and UNICEF indicated that 32 per cent of 15-45 years of age women and 50.4 per cent of pregnant women had goitre. An estimated 3,000 Armenian babies were born each year with intellectual impairment which may have been related to iodine deficiency in pregnancy. Considering the potentially dangerous consequences of IDD for fetal development, and the prevalence of iodine nutritional disorders among women, UNICEF Armenia initiated a series of activities aimed at reaching universal salt iodization in the country and eventually achieving IDD elimination. UNICEF started the Iodine Deficiency Disorders / Universal Salt Iodisation (IDD/USI) project in 1995. Since 1997 and with UNICEF support, the Avan Salt Factory, the only salt producer in the country, exclusively produced iodized edible salt for public consumption. Despite the factory operating at one fourth of its capacity, it covered the needs of the whole population and potable iodized salt became easily accessible and available in all regions of the country. Before 1997, the national standard required an additional 25 +/-10 mg iodine per kg of salt. Following the advice of the Ministry of Health, the State Standard Department increased the level to 35 +/- 10 mg/kg. Later, based on the results of 1998 National Nutrition Survey (NNS), the standard for iodine level in salt was revised again and increased up to 50 +/- 10 mg/kg. By 2000, there had already been progress. The findings of the Demographic and Health Survey1 showed that 84 per cent of the Armenian households consumed adequately (according to revised standards: 50mg/kg) iodised salt, a 14 per cent increase compared with the consumption level indicated by the 1998 NNS. In February 2004, the Government of Armenia passed a Decree that required mandatory iodization of all salt for human consumption. Import of non-iodized salt was also banned. A 2005 UNICEF survey revealed universal availability of quality iodized salt that was found in 97 per cent of the surveyed households.