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    • #FutureFortified

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

    Polio and malaria get a lot of attention when we talk about global health interventions, but iodine deficiency, one of the biggest global health challenges, is often left out of the conversation. If eliminated it would be hailed among the greatest public health achievements in history, so what's the hold up?

    By Molly Anders // 02 November 2015

    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.

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    Read more stories on fortification:

    ► What a trusted local brand means for nutrition
    ► Jay Naidoo: Private sector, government and women key to nutrition partnerships
    ► Gates: Promoting the invisible intervention
    ►The buzz from the #FutureFortified Global Summit in Tanzania

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    About the author

    • Molly Anders

      Molly Andersmollyanders_dev

      Molly Anders is a former U.K. correspondent for Devex. Based in London, she reports on development finance trends with a focus on British and European institutions. She is especially interested in evidence-based development and women’s economic empowerment, as well as innovative financing for the protection of migrants and refugees. Molly is a former Fulbright Scholar and studied Arabic in Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco.

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