Japan helps Cambodia to fight iodine deficiency.

The salt marshes of Kampot © Nhim Sophal

Cambodge Soir
08-08-2008

This morning, the Kampot and Kep salt producers’ committee has received 850 kilograms of iodised potassium from the Japanese Iodine Industry Association. This donation, backed by UNICEF, is the result of a collaboration which lasted more than four years.

Iodised potassium is one of the components used in salt production and allows consumers to compensate their iodine deficiency.

Spectacular progress has been achieved in Cambodia concerning the promotion of this essential food product: not more than 14% of Cambodian households consumed iodised salt in 2000, compared to 72.5% in 2005.

Problems linked to iodine deficiency are the first cause of mental retardation in the world. They are predominantly affecting the learning capacities of children and show up through problems occurring at school. One of the physical symptoms of iodine insufficiency is the appearance of a goitre, caused by the swelling of the thyroid gland in the neck. This syndrome was detected amongst 12% of the Cambodian children in 1997.

The fight against these deficiencies is the result of the improvement of the production and consumption of iodised salt, which owes its success to the joint initiatives of the government, NGO’s and donors like Japan.