BHUBANESWAR: Battling with extremely high prevalence of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), particularly in the southern districts, the State Government is now at a loss to curb the rampant infiltration of non-iodised salt from the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. With Andhra expressing helplessness in checking the flow of non-iodised salt in the State, the Health Department has now moved the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on the matter. Orissa, which is wholly dependant on imports for its salt requirement, has completely banned use, sale or trade of non-iodised salt under the National Iodine Deficiency Disorder Control Programme (NIDDCP). But the banned salt continues to be supplied by unscrupulous traders from Andhra, mainly in the southern districts. According to studies, incidence of IDD is high in the southern part of the State with Malkangiri reporting almost one person in two with iodine deficiency related disorder or disease. Rayagada, Ganjam, Gajapati and Koraput districts have also recorded high prevalence of IDD. Even central districts like Dhenkanal and Angul have IDD prevalence rates of 30.2 per cent and 28.2 per cent respectively. Consumption of non-iodised or inadequately iodised salt in the State is also very high. More than 36 per cent of the population still consume non-iodised salt and thus are vulnerable to goitre, hyperthyroidism, birth defects, motor and speech problems, stunted growth and even mental problems. The Government has now decided to adopt a multi-sectoral approach to ensure universalisation of iodised salt supply and promote its consumption with assistance from Health, Women and Child Development, School and Mass Education and Civil Supplies departments. A combined programme on iodised salt would be held here on November 18 to discuss the problems and draw up effective strategies, Health Secretary Anu Garg said on the occasion of the Global IDD Prevention day on Friday. The Centre has been requested to supply salt-testing kits to ‘Asha karmis’ at the field level. The Asha karmis can randomly select a household and check the quality of salt used. The magnitude of the problem will be assessed on the basis of their reports. “The Centre supplies the kits to the CDMOs directly. Each Asha volunteer has to conduct 50 tests per month. The kits were given in 2009 but the supply has been discontinued since,” Deputy Director (Public Health) M Beura said. The Director (Public Health) has also written to the Government proposing supply of iodised salt through PDS. “If salt is provided dirt-cheap, the acceptance among the poor and the people in rural areas would increase,” Beura said.
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