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Canelos & Guerrero,
Quito, Ecuador, reported on the excellent results of the
universal salt iodination program in Ecuador, established in
1989. In this country there are 4 salt mills with a total
production of 85 metric tons/year. In 1998, 135 samples of salt
were collected at the salt mills and an additionally 917 at the
market. More than 95% of the analyzed samples of salt had 50 ppm
of iodine. Furthermore 10,426 schoolchildren were screened for
iodine deficiency with a total of 850 samples of urine tested.
The median was 36.0 µg I/dl of urine. They concluded that the
iodination of salt in Ecuador is in accordance with the
recommendations of WHO and other foundations, but that this
project should be regularly tested in the future.
Iara-Jorge and co-workers, Misiones, Paraguay, reported on the high prevalence of endemic goiter in Paraguay, a country, without access to the sea, with, approximately, 4.5 million inhabitants who are economically linked to agricultural activities and cattle raising. About 10 years ago (1988) 49% of the population had endemic goiter and the median urinary excretion of iodine was 7.0 µg/dl (more than 30% was less than 5 µg/dl). In 1994 the authors examined 498 school children in the State of Misiones where the prevalence of palpable and visible goiter was 43%. Serum thyroid function parameters were normal and except that 3% had an elevated TSH. About one third of the children made use of "cattle" salt, that is poorly iodinated. Moreover, school absence was very high (35%), anemia highly prevalent (23%) and infestation with intestinal worms occurred in 50% of the children. This report indicates that moderate iodine deficiency has a great impact on the well-being and the economic development of secluded populations in South America. |
