What good is Universal Salt Iodisation strategy?
Around 20 percent of the surveyed children aged under five years, suffer from iodine deficiency, finds the National Micronutrient Survey 2019-20.
This is the first-ever revelation on the country's iodine status, and it has raised questions on the efficacy of the government's Universal Salt Iodisation strategy, said experts, urging to explore the reasons for deficiency.
The national representative second micronutrient survey also revealed that an alarming 70 percent of non-pregnant and non-lactating women have vitamin D deficiencies in addition to their deficiencies in other micronutrients in different percentages.
The survey was carried out by International Centre for Diarrheal Disease and Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), with support from National Nutrition Services (NNS) in 250 upazilas from every district, to understand the status of vitamin A, Vitamin D, Zinc, Ferritin, Urinary Iodine and Anemia among children (5 to 59 months) and non-pregnant and non-lactating (NPNL) women of reproductive age (15-49 years).
The findings were shared at an event in Dhaka, organised by NNS of the Institute of Public Health Nutrition (IPHN) under the health directorate, in partnership with icddr,b.
"Our study findings provide another direction for policymakers to design the next-generation nutrition programmes in the 5th health sector programme in Bangladesh," said Dr Aliya Naheed, scientist of the Health Systems and Population Studies Division at icddr,b, also the survey's principal investigator.
The findings suggest that children under five years of age, and non-pregnant and non-lactating women in the country still significantly lack micronutrients.
I am confident that the results of the survey will help prepare a strategy for combating food and nutrition insecurity and identifying appropriate interventions.
Among the under-5 children, 31 percent had zinc deficiency, 20 percent had iodine deficiency, and 15 percent had iron deficiency.
In the case of vitamins, 22 percent had vitamin D deficiency, and 7 percent of children had moderate vitamin A deficiency.
Among the non-pregnant and non-lactating women, 43 percent had zinc deficiency, percent had iodine deficiency, 29 percent had folate deficiency, and 14 percent had iron deficiency.
Around 70 percent of women lacked vitamin D, while 20 percent had vitamin B12 deficiency, and only 7 percent of women had mild vitamin A deficiency.
Our study findings provide another direction for policymakers to design the next-generation nutrition programmes in the 5th health sector programme in Bangladesh.
Compared to findings from the 2011-12 survey, the micronutrient deficiency status among this group showed improvement in three indicators (vitamin A, zinc, iodine). It worsened in three indicators (serum iron, Folate). The status remained unchanged in case of vitamin B12.
Additionally, 21 percent of the surveyed children and 29 percent of the surveyed non-pregnant and non-lactating women had mild to severe anaemia.
Dr Mustafizur Rahman, director of DGHS and line director of NNS, said this national estimate of micronutrient deficiency would direct the implementation plan of micronutrient supplementation programmes for children, non-pregnant and non-lactating women.
Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, executive director at icddr,b, said, "I am confident that the results of the survey will help prepare a strategy for combating food and nutrition insecurity and identifying appropriate interventions."
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