A recent survey conducted in Afghanistan in 2013 proved that the national food fortification programme funded through the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation (KBZF) and other partners, and executed by GAIN, was successful in reducing the incidence of malnutrition among preschool-age children and women of reproductive age, and was particularly effective in preventing iodine deficiency disorders and brain damage through iodisation of edible salt.

The survey conducted recently with the assistance of the Unicef showed that household access to iodised salt was estimated at 73.6 per cent, a proportion that represents a great progress towards the achievement of the universal salt iodisation norm defined as a minimum of 80 to 90 per cent of households having access to adequately iodised salt.