Fundraising - Handbuch für Grundlagen, Strategien und Methoden

Abstract

PIP: The prevalence of iodine deficiency in the Bikaner district of Rajasthan, India, was estimated in a 1995 pilot project involving 527 children 6-12 years of age recruited from three high schools. Goiter, as detected by palpation, was present in 20.5% of these children. A goiter prevalence above 5% is considered indicative of endemic iodine deficiency. According to urine analyses, 3% of children had severe iodine deficiency (urinary excretion levels under 2 mcg/ml), 9% had moderate deficiency (2.0-4.9 mcg/ml), 18% had mild deficiency (5.0-9.9 mcg/ml), and the remaining 70% had adequate iodine levels (10 mcg/ml and above). 32% of families were using salt with no iodine content; another 8% consumed salt with less than 15 ppm of iodine. These findings indicate that iodine deficiency is a serious public health problem in this district and suggest a need to strengthen monitoring of the quality of salt procured. eng