Iodine deficiency remains a global concern for developing countries and some industrialised countries. Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of preventable mental retardation, posing a threat to the social and economic development of countries. Initiatives were developed and instituted to accelerate progress to achieve the goal of universal salt iodisation (USI). However, these efforts were not successful in eliminating iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) in some countries. Every year, 50 million children are born without the protection that iodine offers to the growing brain and body and about 18 million suffer some significant degree of mental impairment. The World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and non-governmental organisations assist to ensure that populations at risk have access to iodised salt. This paper will review the highlights of iodine deficiency and present the experiences in the various countries in Asia, i.e. assessments of the situation, action plans, and obstacles to implementation.
Deficiency Diseases ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Iodine ; deficiency

The research was conducted on 260 mothers from 22 to 32 years old to study knowledge, attitude and practice in prevention vitamin A deficiency at 2 communes of My Loc district, Nam Dinh province. 83,8% of the mothers understood that using vitamin A rich foods could protect against vitamin A deficiency and 47,3% of them knew about role of high dose of vitamin A capsule approach, 82,7% mothers thought that vitamin A campaign is very necessary for children. There were only 12.5% mothers used vegetables and 33,6% used cooking oil/fat regularly for their children’s meals because the majority of them thought these foods were difficult to digest in their children. The number of mothers usually prepare supplementary foods for their children with 4 food groups only was 9,1%. The number of mothers did not give their children animal food; cooking oi/fat when they suffered from measles, diarrhea and ARI was 14,3%, 28,6% and 22.5%, respectively.
Vitamin A Deficiency ; Child ; Mothers

A survey had been carried out on 2.254 persons (including male and female) of 5 districts in the malaria hyper-endemic areas of Khanh Hoa, Gia Lai and Binh Phuoc provinces from 1999 to 2000. The results showd that, the G6PD deficiency prevalence varied in different ethnic groups: it was 17.1% in the Tay, and 11.1% in the Nung and Dao groups. These groups were migrating from North provinces. The other local ethnic groups (Ba Na, Gia Rai, Xtieng) have low rate of G6PD deficiency (from 1.7 to 3.4%). There was no relationship between the malaria and G6PD deficiency
Malaria ; ; Therapeutics ; disease ; deficiency

The results of a retrospective study of epidemiological surveys was conducted by National Iodine Deficiency Disorder Control Program and periodic surveys were conducted by the Centre of Preventive Health of An Giang in 1998, 2000 and 2003, showed that the coverage rate of households consumed salt with an iodine concentration of more than 20ppm was 29%, 52.9% and 76.5%, respectively. The median urinary iodine concentration was 1.8mlg/dl, 4.4mg/dl and 5.7mg/dl, respectively. The prevalence of goiter in children age 8-10 years was 20.5%, 12.8% and 6.1%, respectively. In 2003, there were still 71.5% of households situated in the iodine deficiency area in An Giang province. The main reasons make people have not used iodised salt are habit of using normal salt; iodised salt is not available and affordable. Although knowledge about the benefit of iodised salt for preventing endemic goiter is 89.4%, knowledge of using iodised salt for preventing creatinism is low (40%).
Iodine ; Iodine/deficiency ; Epidemiology

139 subjects of 2 ethnic groups of Kinh (Hanoi) and Muong (HoaBinh) were submitted to study from October to December 2003 in order to assess the sensitivity and the specificity of the rapid test of determination of G6PD. All subjects underwent both two methods (rapid test and quantifying method) in concomittance.Results showed the sensity of 91,2% and the specificity of 97,2% in both male and female genders. For detecting G6PD defiency in male, the rapid test gave higher sensitivity and specificity than in female 97,1 and 100% respectively in male and 85,3% and 94,1% in female subjects
Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase ; deficiency ; diagnosis ;

To determine the prevalence of G6PD deficiency, the cross sectional surveys were carried out in 5922 subjects (4,043 males and 1,879 females) from 14 different ethnic groups of population in 11 provinces of Vietnam from 1996 to September 2004. Two methods with qualitative virual fluorescent test and rapid test were used. The samples from 559 individuals were independently and comparatively analyzed by two methods for calculating the Kappa index. The Kappa index of 0.081 reflected a high compatibeness of two methods. The prevalence of G6PD deficiency varied from area to area, and D6PD of males was much different from group to group population. There was no relationship between G6PD and malaria
Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase ; epidemiology ; deficiency

Two groups of children aged 5 to 8 months having the same socioeconomic condition, their mothers have been attended in the courses of nutrition communication and education, one group (control group) was fed with home-made powder, the other group (intervention group) was fed with a meal of high micronutrient and energy dense powder per day, for 6 months. The results showed that after intervention, concentration of Hb, ferritin, serum zinc and retinol of intervention children were significantly higher than those of the control group. Prevalence of anemia, exhausted iron storage, zinc and vitamin A deficiencies of intervention group significantly lower those of control group. Body length and height for age z-score (HAZ) of the intervention group were significantly higher than length and HAZ of the control group. 6 months follow-up after intervention cessation revealed that the HAZ and Hb of the intervention group were significantly higher than those of the control group, respectively. High micronutrient and energy dense powder may improve micronutrient deficiency and nutritional status of intervention children
malnutrition ; child ; Micronutrients ; deficiency

A meta-analyze on vitamin A (VA) and anemia surveys in the year 1995 and 2000. The results showed that anemis is reducing during the recent years, particularly more in pregnancy women, and less in young infants. However anemis is still a public health significant problem (PHS). Clinical VA lesions are continuously lower than PHS. While the sub-clinical VA deficiency is still a PHS, of which majority is in mild and moderate levels. It was recognized that the problem is more severe in young infant < 6 months. Low VA content in breast-milk is more than 50% among lactating women. The recommendations, such as social marketing on the using iron tablet, iron fortification into several foods have been developed for control of anemia; VA capsule supplementation of 50,000 IU to the infant < 6 months combined with immunization of PDT on 6, 10, 14 weeks; Increasing doses of VA for women after delivery. Weekly supplementation of iron combined with low dose VA to pregnance women
Vitamin A ; Anemia ; Vitamin A Deficiency

Evidences have shown that we are beginning into nutritional transition etape, and a double burden of malnutrition has been started. Protein energy malnutrion in children is still a continous challenge. Data collected in the past years showed that there is not a consistency in reduce of malnutrion between various region. The chronical deficiency of energy among women of reproductive age is a true problem of concern. In the next future, the deficiency of oligonutrients, of vitamin A, the diseases related to iron deficiency, iodine deficiency must be resolved. High body weight, obesity are increasing quickly, raising a new problem of public health in urban areas. In the large increase of chronical uncommunicable disease such as hypertension diabetes, cardiovascualr conditions, some cancers, metabolism disturbations, there is certainly the important role of the nutrition and life style
Malnutrition ; Child ; deficiency

A iron sectional study was carried out on 323 children aged 5-8 months old in Dong Hy district, Thai Nguyen province from August 2002 to October 2003. Results showed: malnutrition of underweight accounted for 3.1%, underheight 11.5%, neonatal weight < 2.500g was 8.4%, anemia 74.6% and vitamin A deficiency 39.3%. There is a closed and positive relation between anemia and vitamin A deficiency, children with anemia had a risk of vitamin A deficiency 2, 3 times higher than normal children and controversaly. Knowledge and practice of mothers on breast feeding, on children care and on supplemented foods have had large shortcomings
Anemia ; vitamin A deficiency ; Malnutrition