IODINE DEFICIENCY DISORDERS IN KAPENGURIA - A URINARY IODINE ESTIMATION

Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) are known to be a potential problem for billions of people living in the highland areas of Africa and Asia . One method of determining the severity or IDD in a region is to dete rmine the iodine content of the urine or school aged children. The iod ine status in four primary schools in the Kapenguria Division of West Pokot district was assessed by determining the urinary iodine concentr ation in 102 children from the four schools. The median urine iodine c oncentrations were obtained as Kammorou (n = 24): 2.0 - 2.5mug/dL (p < 0.01), Nasokol (n = 28): 2.5 - 3.0mug/dL, Nangrotum (n = 27): 2.5 - 3 .0mug/dL and Makutano (n = 23): 5.5 - 6.0mug/dL. For a goitre free are a, the urinary iodine concentration should be above 5.0mug/dL.