Description

Micronutrient malnutrition is the inappropriate intake of vitamins and minerals for proper growth and development. This presentation focuses specifically on the micronutrient, iodine, as the insufficient intake of iodine has been identified as the main cause of preventable brain damage. In addition, an inadequate intake can have other adverse effects, including cretinism and increased levels of infant mortality. In India alone, a recent study found that approximately 71 million people are iodine deficient. This is cause for concern and further research on effective interventions for the country context are needed. This presentation first examines whether vulnerable groups, which include pregnant women, infants, and young children, are able to obtain the recommended amount of iodine from iodized salt in low and middle income countries. Next, the extent to which complementary interventions contribute to iodine intake is explored by reviewing the objectives, delivery methods, and iodine content of various interventions, and estimating the number of people reached. Finally, programmatic considerations are discussed for the specificities of the Indian context.

Carmen Ho is pursuing her PhD in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto. Her presentation is based on research she conducted at UNICEF HQ (New York) with Arnold Timmer, Senior Adviser, Micronutrients, UNICEF. Their work will be presented at the 20th International Congress of Nutrition in Granada, Spain. Carmen’s doctoral research will also investigate child malnutrition interventions in low and middle income countries. Specifically, she will explore the facilitators of and barriers to scaling up programs involving multiple micronutrient powders (MNPs), an intervention developed at the Hospital for Sick Children and distributed by UNICEF.

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