UNICEF supports salt sellers with thirty million cedis

Yendi (N/R), Feb 12, GNA- The UNICEF last year provided 30 million cedis to six wholesalers of iodated salt to supply the commodity to Yendi and Sang townships in the Yendi District.

The support followed a survey the Yendi District Assembly conducted with financial support from UNICEF, which showed that only six per cent of the people in the two communities were using iodated salt.

Mr Mohammed Asibi Azonko, the Yendi District Co-ordinating Director announced this at the inauguration of a nine-member inter-disciplinary task force to monitor the sale of salt and consumers' patronage in the district.

Mr Azonko said iodine deficiency disorders were a serious health problem facing developing countries and needed to be effectively addressed.

Mr Mohammad Habib Tijani, the District Chief Executive said iodine deficiency causes goitre, cretinism, and retardation of the mental and physical development of children.

It also causes miscarriage and stillbirths among women, noting that these conditions are prevalent in some parts of the Northern Region. He said the situation could be best reversed through dietary interventions such as regular use of iodated salt in meals. He called on the district assembly to liaise effectively with the suppliers of iodated salt to ensure that salt supplied to every community is iodated.

Mr Tijani asked the task force to come out with communication strategies that would make the intake of un-iodated salt unattractive to the public.