Elimination of Iodine Deficiency in Georgia: Results of National Survey in 2005

Abstract

In Georgia a law was passed in 2005 that banned the import and sale of non-iodized salt. To measure the impact of this legislation, a national survey was conducted in November 2005. A cross-sectional school-based 30 cluster survey of children aged 6—12 years measured urinary iodine excretion (UIE) and the iodine content of household salt. Approximately 30 children from each school were requested to provide a urine sample and bring a household salt sample to school. Urine samples were sent for laboratory analysis to Brussels University (Belgium), and salt samples were analyzed onsite using rapid kits. Only 40 (4.4%) of 900 urinary samples analyzed had a low UIE (below 100 @мg/L); the median UIE was 320.7 @мg/L. Of 957 salt samples analyzed with rapid salt testing kits, 867 (95.9%) were adequately iodized (>15 mg/kg), and only 39 (4.1%) had no iodine. Iodization of salt was validated in 136 random samples using iodometric titration; 128 (94.1%) were adequately iodized. These results indicate dramatic improvements both in the prevalence of low UIE among Georgian children (80% in 1998) and in the percentage of Georgian households using salt with adequate iodine (8% in 1999 and 67% in 2003). These results show that, Georgia has achieved universal salt iodization (USI) and now meets the primary WHO, UNICEF and ICCIDD criteria for elimination of iodine deficiency.