Universal Salt Iodization (USI) - FTP Directory Listing

www.unsystem.org/scn FEATURES 19Advocacy Planning to Sustain Successful Elimination of Iodine DeficiencyDavid P. Haxton (Executive Director, ICCIDD)Every national effort to address iodine deficiency requires an advocacy plan and a communications strategy designed tosupport elimination and sustain the change it brings. It necessitates modern management using modern managementtools and techniques. Each national programme requires a practical and efficient monitoring and report process that isregular, well supported, transparent and works for equal benefit of the people, the process and the policy makers. Theadvocacy plan should focus on sustaining progress with a long term view and make special efforts to keep politicalcommitment regular and visible, public- private collaboration at the core of the process, and penetration of learningsystems a priority of long duration. The current emphasis on the enormous success to date has the danger of creatinghubris; a situation to be avoided since sustained elimination of a deficiency is a permanent priority.Key words: Advocacy, IDD, iodine, iodized, global, progress, salt, USIAddressing iodine deficiency and sustaining the successIn the effort to address iodine deficiency, experience over the past two decades has taught us a lot aboutidentifying and addressing the problem through universal salt iodization (USI). Advocacy planning andcoordinated national efforts are critical to sustain the progress. Regular ‘health education’ activities, whilehelpful, do not adequately support such interventions and the officers are not practiced in the imaginativecommunications and persuasive arguments needed to sustain political and economic commitment.Other papers in this issue of SCN News describe the key components and requirements for successfulachievement of USI and sustained elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) relating to:▪ The product: Sustained quality production of the product at fair prices and with universal accessibility▪ The process: The many processes in national societies required to succeed: trained personnel, efficientand competent laboratories, monitoring and public reporting, financial support for essentials, application oflaws and regulations; public information, and▪ The progress in improving human nutrition: sustained monitoring of access to adequate iodine, publicreporting of results, corrective actions.It is timely to focus attention on the need for sustained success. However it is important to understand thatthe management and oversight demands for sustaining achievement differ from those needed for eliminationof the deficiency. There are too many resources used for the plan of action, and not enough for permanence.This has resulted in ‘backsliding’, lowered quality, or inadequate oversight and public reporting and, thus, lackof accountability in many places.Key considerations to ensure sustained oversightManagement of sustained oversight requires a blend of several actions on a permanent basis.▪ Coalition: Investments and collaboration of professionals from multiple sectors viz. health and medicalservices, agriculture, education, industry, finance, trade, and labour▪ Political commitment and responsible oversight▪ An annual advocacy plan▪ Production of quality products at a fair profit▪ Market penetration to reach everyone in a nation▪ Consumer demand for quality iodized salt at fair prices▪ Quality assurance to confirm advancement in human nutrition▪ Communications strategy to hold things togetherIn each country there is a need for a multi professional national coalition or committee for permanentoversight. While ‘jump start’ foreign assistance may be needed and has great value, the major long terminvestments to sustain delivery of iodine needs forever must be national - from the producers, from the public,from the government and from other national elements of the society. Foreign assistance is temporary.Sustained iodine nutrition is permanent.back to contents SCN NEWS # 35