Iodine Prophylaxis - Global Action - Abstract
Background: Iodine deficiency is a worldwide public health problem affecting around 4 billion people. It manifests clinical consequences: goiter, hypothyroidism, cretinism and negative economic consequences. In 1986 Iodine Global Network was established. Objectives: The aim of this article is presentation of the model of iodine prophylaxis as a global prophylactic program to prevent iodine deficiency on the population level. Iodine plays a leading role in metabolic pathways as integral part of the thyroid hormones - thyronine and thyroxin and as a strongest antioxidant. Methods: According to WHO recommendation actual model of iodine prophylaxis is based on iodization of salt (NaCl) and on additional dose 100-150µg of iodine for pregnant and breast feeding women. The monitoring of the effectiveness of the model is based on mass screening of neonatal TSH and determination of urinary iodine concentration. Results: In majority of European countries iodine supplementation has been recognized as adequate and it allowed to eliminate on the population level goiter and cretinism and to assure proper iodine supplementation for pregnant and breast feeding women, Conclusion: ICCIDD Iodine Global Network is powerful alliance to assist countries in elimination of iodine deficiency on the population level. In 2014 the organization was named Iodine Global Network (IGN).