Actor Roger Moore in town for UNICEF drive

JAKARTA (JP): UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Roger Moore is scheduled to arrive in the city on Sunday on a six-day visit to raise awareness about the importance of iodized salt in the diet, particularly for children.

The British actor, best known for his roles as Simon Templar in the TV series The Saint and James Bond from such movies as Live and Let Die and The Spy Who Loved Me, is scheduled to meet with government officials, including President Abdurrahman Wahid on Monday. He has been involved with UNICEF since the 1960s.

"We are delighted to have Roger Moore, one of UNICEF's most famous ambassadors, visit Indonesia at this time," UNICEF representative for Indonesia Rolf Carriere was quoted as saying in a release from the agency.

"Indonesia is at a crossroads in setting its public health, priorities, and the economic situation has pressured families into compromising their families' long-term mental and physical development for short-term financial reasons by buying noniodized salt."

The Ministry of Health estimates Indonesia loses 140 million IQ points each year as a result of iodine deficiency. Lack of iodine also causes goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland, but the agency said that for every case of goiter, there are 10 to 20 "invisible" cases of mental retardation due to lack of iodine. (brc).