Iodine deficiency control programme -

Control of iodine deficiency disorders The National Goitre Control Programme was launched by the Government of India in 1962 in the conventional goitre belt in the Himalayan region with the objective of identification of the goitre endemic areas to supply iodized salt in place of common salt and to assess the impact of goitre control measures over a period of time. Surveys, however, indicated that the problem of goitre and iodine deficiency disorders was more widespread than it was thought earlier, with nearly 145 million people estimated to be living in known goitre endemic areas of the country. As a result, a major national programme - the IDD Control Programme - was mounted in 1986 with the objective to replace the entire edible salt by iodide salt, in a phased manner by 1992 Ref : Park 25th edition Pgno : 697