Program to eliminate iodine deficiency

by L.S.A. Wedaarachchi

Sri Lanka achieved remarkable progress in treating preventable brain damage in children and pregnant mothers under the Iodisation of salt project commenced in the mid 1990s, said Chairman Lanka Salt Limited Mahinda Gunawardana.

UNICEF assisted in launching the Iodisation of salt project and due to the limited machine capacity salt factories were able to iodise only 30 per cent of the salt production. Lanka salt limited, the country's main producer of salt with the assistance of International Council of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) obtained two new state-of-the-art Iodisation of salt factories from Micronutrient Initiative (MI), Canada.

The national salt production which is 105,000 MT is being iodised by these factories under the international health quality standards.

The Chairman said that their prime responsibility is to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders and preventable brain damage from the country.

Lanka Salt Ltd., produces 75,000 - 85,000 MT of salt annually.

Lanka Salt Ltd., the successor to the National Salt Corporation - Hambantota Salterns, launched a three-year development program last year. Its main objectives are to commission a 15 tons per hour salt machinery and Iodisation plant, rehabilitation of electrical infrastructure salt pan, bund, canal, pump house and transform the nucleus at Hambantota Mahalewaya to a salt city.

The eradication of Iodine deficiency disorders program implemented in collaboration with Lanka Salt Limited Micronutrient Initiative and ICCIDDSL was given priority by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the National Healthcare and Nutrition policy of the 'Mahinda Chintanaya'.

[email protected]