How to raise the world's IQ, taken with a grain of salt

In 2005 the Vietnamese government had a lot to celebrate: 90 percent of households were using iodized salt, and the iodine levels of women and children under 5 were in optimum range. Vietnam has historically worked hard in the fight against iodine deficiency — the leading cause for preventable brain damage in newborns and infants. The country passed its first iodine legislation in 1970 — but tweaks to their legislation had boosted progress, and in 2005 the World Health Organization pointed to Vietnam as a model for success in salt iodization.

But only three years later, their progress had taken a U-turn. Results of a nationwide household survey showed coverage had fallen by almost a third — more than 30 years of progress undone in five.

Today, Vietnam is officially in a backslide, Karen Codling, regional coordinator for Southeast Asia and the Pacific for the Iodine Global Network told Devex.