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.