Review of iodine nutrition in South America
Transitioning to sustained optimal iodine nutrition
During 2022 and 2023, amid challenging circumstances, where health systems in the region were recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences on health, social, and economic institutions, IGN in South America advocated for the use of data already available in countries to assess the performance of USI and IDD control programs, the level of iodine intake. As well as the program performance assessment tool, a pilot study was conducted to estimate the contribution of iodized salt in processed foods to daily iodine requirements in preschool children in Peru using quantitative cross-sectional secondary data analysis of processed foods consumed and sodium databases.
Figure 1: Iodine intake in School Children, South America 2021
Figure 2: Median Urinary Iodine Concentration (μg/L) in children of school age and pregnant women in South America by country