After a 1993 survey found Vietnamese schoolchildren consumed only 32 micrograms of iodine daily, a third of the recommended level, Vietnam mandated all food salt be iodized. The IDD problem was under control by 1995; schoolchildren were consuming 113 micrograms of iodine. A new survey reported in IRIN News, found that iodine intakes of women of reproductive age have fallen from 122 in 2006 to 83 in 2009.

What happened? The iodized salt mandate was repealed in 2006 and program administration budgets were slashed by 90%.

Health authorities cited in the article, including Swiss researcher Dr. Maria Andersson, ICCIDD's deputy regional coordinator for West Central Europe, affirmed the importance of salt iodization and noted the need for greater public awareness.

"With no adequate IEC [information, education and communication[, it appears that most people use the money for other things instead of buying iodized salt," the researchers found.

Starting in 2006, the central committee in control of IDD was dismantled....

In a 2008-09 survey..., 43 percent of mothers linked goiter to iodine deficiency, while only 19 percent knew lack of iodine could lead to mental retardation."