WB loans US$28.5m for iodization

WB loans US$28.5m for iodization

JAKARTA (JP): The World Bank announced Wednesday a US$28.5
million loan to Indonesia for intensifying the iodine deficiency
control program efforts.

The bank said the loan would help the Indonesian project worth
US$45.3 million by developing policies to increase the supply,
quality and consumption of iodized salt.

The Indonesian government will finance the remaining US$16.8
million.

The project will support Indonesia in its fight against iodine
deficiency in ways that include increasing the supply of iodized
salt, increasing the consumption of iodized salt and distributing
iodized oil capsules to women of childbearing age.

The World Bank estimates about one-third of Indonesia's 195
million people live in iodine deficient areas resulting in the
high iodine deficiency rate.

Goiter, still birth and prenatal mortality rates are higher in
iodine deficient areas, and deficiency in the first three months
of pregnancy increases the proportion of cretinous births and
mentally and neurologically handicapped births.

"It has enormous implications for the social and economic
development of the communities," the bank said.

Indonesia earlier embarked on a program to combat iodine
deficiency by increasing the distribution of iodized salt and
iodized oil.

But the scheme was ineffective because it was difficult to
distribute enough salt and oil to remote areas where the bulk of
the at-risk-groups lived.

Subsequently, the government changed tactics. Salt iodization
was strengthened through a salt commercialization scheme and
regulatory frameworks. This improved the surplus but not the
quality nor the iodization.