LAKKI MARWAT – The non-iodised salt transported to Lakki town from the neighbouring Mianwali (Kalabagh) district of Punjab is posing a serious threat to public health, as the commodity can cause complications in children, adults and especially pregnant women.
This was said by Micronutrient Initiative’s representative Sadiq Hussain in a meeting on Tuesday. The meeting, presided over by district coordination officer Nisar Ahmad at district secretariat Tajazai, discussed iodine deficiency disorders with special focus on banning the transportation of non-iodised to the district from Punjab. Matters pertaining to stop production and sale of non-iodised salt, launching awareness among people on usefulness of the commodity and implementation of relevant laws to this effect also came under discussion in the meeting. 
Hussain said the meeting that Micronutrient Initiative was providing potassium iodate to the owners of salt processing units on subsidized rates to help them prepare and produce iodised salt.
“But there is the dire need to ensure banning supply of non-iodised salt to Lakki town from Kalabagh (Mianwali)”, he maintained. 
Highlighting iodine deficiency disorders in human beings, he said that MI imparted capacity building training to medical officers, lady health workers and lady health supervisors besides launched activities on school level to spread the message regarding usefulness of using iodised salt to each and every house in the district.
To a point raised by district khateeb the MI project manager Ms Gulshan told that iodised salt was not laced with family planning pills, calling upon the clerics to play their role for removing misconceptions from the minds of people about the commodity.
She said that iodine deficiency could cause miscarriages (abortion), stillbirths, mental retardation, goiter and other complications and health problems in children, adults and pregnant women.
She said that children of women with iodine deficiency during pregnancy could have mental retardation and problems with growth, hearing and speech. “Besides, the use of commodity is essential for the development of human brain and keeping body parts health and strong,” she maintained.
She added that iodine deficiency was a major public health problem in many countries including Pakistan and could be easily addressed by using iodised salt.
DCO Nisar Ahmad appreciated the role of Micronutrient Initiative, as it was extending help to the owners of salt processing units to produce iodised salt and supply it to the local market.
He said the district administration would ensure implementation of relevant laws regarding ban on production and sale of non-iodised salt in letter and spirit. “The policemen posted in border check post will be provided with test kits to check mixing of iodine in salt and stop transportation of the commodity to the district from Punjab if found non iodised,” he said. He issued instructions to price magistrates to use test kits for checking salt iodisation during surprise visits to bazaars and impose heavy fines on traders found involved in selling non-iodised salt.
Among others EDO health Dr Abdul Ghaffar Wazir, EDO education Haji Meer Azam Khan, district food controller Nazir Rehman, MI project manager for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata Gulshan and district khateeb Maulana Abdul Wahab attended the meeting