ISLAMABAD - Health professionals here on Thursday emphasised the need for Universal Salt Iodination (USI), as Pakistan is rated 6th amongst the countries where iodine deficiency is a serious public health problem. They expressed these views in a symposium organized by The Network for Consumer Protection at Shifa College of Medicine. Iodine deficiency is the worlds most prevalent yet easily preventable cause of brain damage having the most devastating impact on the brain of the developing fetus and young children in the first few years of life noted Dr Arif Azad, Executive Director of TheNetwork while speaking on the occasion. Globally, an estimated 20 million infants are born each year at risk of brain damage from iodine deficiency he continued. According to UNICEF, 70 per cent of the total population in Pakistan is at risk of IDDs. A recent research in Pakistan cited that around 50 million people are suffering from iodine deficiency, 6.5 million of whom are facing severe type of deficiency and the gravity is reflected in the striking figure of more than 4 million children born every year unprotected against brain damage. Only 17 per cent of the overall population uses iodized salt in our country (NNS 2001-02), which is incredibly low even if compared with countries with similar socio-economic conditions like Bangladesh (78 per cent) and Nepal (93 per cent). However, there is a dire need to create mass-awareness on this issue and to generate advocacy for promotion of IDDs legislation and monitoring the enforcement of universal Salt Iodization in order to combat iodine deficiency in the country. Dr Mohammad Aslam, Principal Shifa College of Medicines, as chief guest on the occasion said that Shifa College of Medicine would guide the medical students on the particular issues. Sheeba Afghani, Communication Specialist, UNICEF stated that Universal Salt Iodization (USI) was globally known and acceptable means to fight iodine deficiency. She said alliance of health professional on IDD could contribute hugely to the success of USI campaign as health professional were the source of knowledge.