The development of a global program for the elimination of brain damage due to iodine deficiency

Iodine deficiency is the most common preventable cause of brain damage with more than 2 billion people from 130 countries at risk. The global problem of iodine deficiency has been redefined by a readily transmitted population concept, with an easy acronym - the concept of the iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) - referring to all the effects of iodine deficiency in a population, that can be totally prevented by correction of iodine deficiency with special emphasis on brain damage and not just to goitre and cretinism (1983). This was followed by the creation of the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) supported by WHO and UNICEF with 700 multidisciplinary professionals from more than 100 countries, committed to providing technical assistance to national programs for the elimination of IDD (1986). The WHO policy of Universal Salt Iodization (USI) has been widely adopted which requires iodization of all food for human and animal consumption by the use of iodized salt (25-40 mg I/kilo). Simple practical methods for monitoring - by the measurement of salt iodine and urine iodine were developed and promoted on a large scale with the technical assistance of the ICCIDD.