A thank you to our donors and partners

In this season of gratitude and giving, we at IGN want to thank each and every one of you for your support to us.

Every day, we are inspired by the people around the world who believe, as we do, that the problem of iodine deficiency can and must remain a thing of the past, and that one simple intervention – adding tiny amounts of iodine to salt – can ensure that it remains so.

Today, we’re the only organization that solely focuses on this important work.  How?

• By keeping track of the situation and alerting the world to potentially re-emerging problems, as we did in the report we published earlier this year with WHO and Kiwanis International on changes in diet and lifestyle in Europe contributing to a re-emergence of iodine deficiency, and pointing out that this situation is happening all over the world.
• By providing guidance to countries on making sure their programs work and technical support to solve any problems they find.
• By developing cost-effective tools to fill data gaps on population iodine intake and iodized salt availability and ensuring vulnerable populations are not forgotten.
• By taking every opportunity to improve awareness of the need for iodine, especially before and during pregnancy, and in early life.

IGN is a small organization. We don’t have offices, and so our administrative costs are low. The importance and simplicity of salt iodization inspires people, and so we are supported by a network of Regional and National Coordinators around the world, many of whom work on a voluntary basis.

Because we are a lean organization, we know that every contribution to us – big or small – is used where it’s needed most – to protect the developing brains of children from the consequences of iodine deficiency. And because salt iodization has been identified as a highly cost-effective intervention, at a cost per person of about 5 cents a year, we know that every donation goes a long way, allowing children to learn better in school and earn better as adults, contributing to the economic development of their communities and countries.

So today, we want to thank you all – our donors, our partners, our volunteers and all our supporters for your dedication, enthusiasm and generosity. We wish you all peace, joy and happiness.