A new Pakistan national nutrition survey discovered by 36% of mothers and 23% of pre-school children are severely iodine deficient, according to an Associated Press of Pakistan report. Only 17% of Pakistani households are using iodized salt.

"Around 2.1 million children are born each year with mental disorders in the country due to iodine deficiency in pregnant women.

"According to health experts, iodine deficiency in children leads to mental retardation, loss of cognitive abilities, still born, miscarriage and birth of children with congenital abnormalities like deaf, dumb and stunted.Urinary iodine test results revealed a bigger figure of about 36% of mothers and 23% of pre-school children suffering from severe iodine deficiency in the country, they added.

"According to them, the utilization of iodized salt at the household level was only 17% despite 56.4% respondents were aware about iodized salt."