A ROLE FOR NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN MONITORING THE IODINE CONTENT OF SALT IN NORTHERN INDIA

The feasibility of using nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to monit or the iodine content of salt was studied in Uttar Pradesh, northern I ndia, where iodine-deficiency disorders (IDDs) are endemic. Three NGOs already involved in health and development activities in the Gorakhpu r, Varanasi, and Dehradun regions collected salt samples monthly from households and shops in selected villages over a 6-month period, A tot al of 4001 samples were analysed at regional laboratories by trained p ersonnel using a standard protocol; 10% of the samples were sent to a central laboratory for external qualify control. The iodine content la y in the range 0-95 mg/kg of salt; if was particularly low in the Gora khpur and Varanasi regions, where over 80% of samples contained less t han the minimum recommended level of 15 mg/kg; 37% of samples were in this category in the Dehradun region. Regular monitoring of the iodine content of salt at the consumer level is essential for the eliminatio n of IDDs, and there is a need to improve awareness of this at all lev els. NGOs can play a valuable role in both of these respects.