CORRESPONDENT
TINSUKIA: The National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme (NIDDCP) was launched at Sarojbala Memorial High School with an awareness rally by health workers and public meeting on Friday.
Organized on the occasion of Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day-2022 by Hapjan BPHC, the launching programme was followed by an art competition among school children where around 70 students participated.
Dr Gauri Sankar Gogoi, Joint Director of Health Services Tinsukia, while elaborating the objective of the programme, said that creating awareness about iodine deficiency was a must as "iodine deficiency is a major cause of physical and mental retardation, cretinism, abortions, stillbirth, deaf mutism, squint and various types of goitre and is especially damaging during pregnancy and in early childhood". He further added that iodine was an essential micronutrient required daily at 100-150 micrograms for normal human growth and development.
Dr Biswajit Saikia, SDM & HO Hapjan BPHC, stressed that most people can get enough iodine from eating iodine-rich foods such as seafood. People can use small amounts of iodised salt and eat packaged bread to increase the amount of iodine in the diet, Dr Saikia said.
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