Sri Lanka
Improving iodine nutrition through sentinel surveys
Sri Lanka launched its salt iodization program in 1995 following a national survey that showed an estimated two-thirds of the population were at risk of iodine deficiency.
Today, iodine status is borderline adequat for children and pregnant women are still iodine deficient. As part of its efforts to improve data through the use of sentinel sites, IGN initiated the assessment of iodine status of pregnant women through routine surveillance. This sentinel site model is now being tested in other countries with the ultimate aim of creating easy and cost-effective methods to monitor iodine status of pregnant women.
Objectives
Regular monitoring of the iodine status of different population groups.
Integrating salt reduction and salt iodization efforts.
Strengthen regulation and enforcement of the salt iodization program.
Coordinating regional efforts
As part of the sentinel site approach, IGN is working at with the government to look at the results of this monitoring and take corrective action where needed. IGN also hosted a well-attended regional webinar on coordination of salt reduction efforts in conjunction with salt iodization.
UNICEF Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka landscape analysis
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