42 million in RI at risk from diet

SEMARANG: Minister of Health Sujudi announced yesterday that the health of at least 42 million Indonesians was at risk due to a lack of iodine in their diet.

Sumarmo Purwosudarmo, on behalf of the minister, told a discussion group on iodine-related health problems that iodine deficiency has been linked to mental and physical retardation in children.

The national campaign promoting iodine consumption, by distributing iodized table salts over the past 20 years, has not yielded positive results. (swe)