Millions Jakartans lack iodine

JAKARTA: Almost half the city's residents do not take salt with iodine, a substance that is essential to stay healthy.

Data at the Ministry of Health reveals that only 58 percent of people in the city take iodized salt.

"Regularly consuming iodized salt is the easiest and cheapest way to eliminate deficiencies caused by the lack of iodine, which can cause mental illnesses," said Willem Standaert, Senior Program Coordinator of Unicef Indonesia.

On Monday, Willem and City Governor Sutiyoso launched the Jakarta Iodized Salt Movement in Kalideres district, West Jakarta.

A lack of iodine can cause the swelling of the thyroid gland in the neck, which is otherwise known as goiter. Worse, for each case of goiter in the country, there are between 10 and 20 cases of mental disorders that could be prevented by taking salt with iodine.

Over the next few months, Unicef and the city administration will collaborate to provide facilities where people can test whether the salt they consume contains enough iodine.

The government banned the sale of salt without iodine in 1994, but about 40 percent of salt on the market across the country does not contain iodine even though the packet may claim so.--JP