Media urged to reactivate campaign on consumption of iodated salt

Ho, Oct. 7, GNA - Mr Roderick Daddey-Adjei, Volta and Eastern Regions Zonal Officer of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), has urged the media to reactivate campaigns to popularize the consumption of iodated salt in the country.

Mr Daddey-Adjei made the call at a seminar on the role of the media in promoting Universal Salt Iodisation (USI) in Ghana in Ho recently. "When mass media campaigns are combined with other strategic control programs there is positive response from consumers," he said. Iodine deficiency leads to nutritional deficiencies manifested in reduced mental development, low intelligent quotient, stunted growth and goiter, which undermined quality human resource development vital for national development, he said.

Mr Daddey-Adjei said latest statistics indicated that Ghana was able to attain 74 per cent household consumption of iodized salt in 2005 when national consumption was expected to reach 90 per cent. He said in 2006, the 74 per cent slumped to 50.8 per cent. Mr Daddey-Adjei said the failure to reach the 2005 target of 90 per cen= t and the further decline in 2006 was a serious drawback that must be halted. Mr Daddey-Adjei said there was no scientific proof that iodized salt could cause cancer as alleged in some sections of the media. He reminded the media that providing platforms to people to discourage the consumption of iodized salt contravened the law. Mr Daddey-Adjei said the media should develop programs to educate manufacturers and traders, caterers, school children and parents on the importance of iodized salt to the country's socio-economic development.