BHAKKAR – EDO (Health) Dr Nazir Hussain said that the role of Lady Health Supervisors (LHS) was important to create awareness among household ladies about the issue as the most common way to prevent such pervasive public health problem was salt idoisation.
He was addressing in a training session of Lady Health Supervisors (LHS) which was organised by the District Health Department in collaboration with Micronutrient Initiative Pakistan here the other day.
He suggested to adopt three-pronged strategy to address the iodine deficiency disorders in the district including legislation for universal salt iodisation, supply side interventions and demand creation activities.
On the occasion, DHDC Program Director Dr Muhammad Iqbal Bhatti and District Iodine Program Focal Person Dr Nisar Ahmed Jhakkar delivered the lectures to the LHS’s regarding Iodine deficiency disorders and its solution.
According to them, low consumption of iodised salt at domestic level can have adverse medical effects on men, women and children and may cause several health complications including profound effects on mental development.
Speaking on the occasion, DO (Health) Dr Khalid Naeem advised the LHS’s to build the capacity of their Lady Health Workers through training sessions at Basic Health Unit (BHU) level so that they could communicate the message to promote the usage of iodized salt on daily basis.
He also congratulated the LHS’s that according to National Nutrition Survey 2011 severe iodine deficiency in mother reduced from 36.7 to 3.9 and in children 23.4 to 2.1.
Micronutrient Initiative Pakistan Coordinator Muddasir Shehzad said that the use of iodized salt increased from 17 to 69 per cent in all over the country.