DIETARY IODINE DEFICIENCY IN SOUTH-AFRICA - SURVEYS BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION OF UNIVERSAL SALT IODIZATION

Objective. To survey iodine nutritional status in several geographical ly separated communities in South Africa. Design. In an initial study total goitre prevalence (TGP) was correlated with urinary iodine conce ntration (UIC) in some 300 primary school children in a single distric t. Thereafter only UIC was surveyed in children from 5 additional comm unities. Results. In the initial survey in Mpumalanga TGP was 74.2% (2 3.4% visible) and the median UIC was 15.6 mu g/l both data indicating severe iodine deficiency in this district. Median UIC values indicated mild to severe iodine deficiency in districts in the Northern Provinc e, moderate deficiency in the Eastern Cape, and mild deficiency in Sow eto, Gauteng. Only non-black African children in Johannesburg were iod ine-replete (UIC > 100.0 mu g/l.) Conclusion. Before the introduction of compulsory iodisation of salt in December 1995, dietary iodine defi ciency was widespread in South Africa.