SHEIKHUPURA/JABRAIN-EDO Health Dr Iftakhar Ahmad directed the sanitary inspectors to ensure the use of iodised salt by monitoring the process of iodisation in the factories and sale at retail outlets and markets.
He instructed them to monitor salt factories on weekly basis. These views were expressed during the annual refresher training of sanitary & food inspectors. The Micronutrient Initiative provided technical and financial support for these events. On the occasion, DO Health Dr Saeed Sajid stressed a need for using the three pronged strategy of motivation, education and legal action to enhance edible salt adequacy. Dr. Sohail Khizar and Dr Nusrat Jabeen informed the participants that IDD free Pakistan means children with higher intelligence quotient, improved mental and physical growth, women with improved fertility, fewer still births and abortions; healthy nation contributing to economic growth of Pakistan.
They explained that numerous complications arise in adults and pregnant women due to the deficiency of Iodine. They said that mixing iodine in edible salt the most cost effective method of eliminating iodine deficiency.
Hafiz Zaheer Ahmad, USI field officer from Micronutrient Initiative, said that 40 salt processors in Sheikhupura district produce more than 1,800 MT of salt every month. However, only 30-40 percent of salt is adequately iodised. He said that there is a dire need to take the adequacy to more than 80% at production level. More than 90 sanitary inspectors participated in the trainings.