Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD)

Abstract

Iodine deficiency can impair human health severely and cause iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), including endemic goiter, endemic cretinism, endemic subclinical cretinism, and so on. From 2838 to 2698 BC, China had made effort to control endemic goiter. However, the large-scale prevention work had not started in a real sense until the founding of the New China. At that time, all regions of China except Shanghai were affected by endemic goiter at different levels. Supply of iodized salt, iodized oil, and iodine-rich foods, iodization of drinking water, and iodinated food were the mainly recommended measures for controlling IDD. The surveillance and assessment systems for IDD elimination in China were well organized and carefully designed. Today, China has eliminated IDD on a national basis in many provinces. It is considered one of the most successful IDD elimination programs in the world and has set an excellent example for the rest of the world. According to the most recent national IDD surveillance survey carried out in 2014, China is in the status of sustainable IDD elimination nationwide, which is attributed to the leading roles of government, high-quality and sufficient iodized salt supply, comprehensive legislation, regulations, standards and technical proposals, intensive surveillance and assessment, health-related promotional and educational activities, and international collaboration.