Even during her third pregnancy, Sadia Arshad, 35, is completely clueless about the necessity of iodine in her diet. After a 15-minute antenatal checkup by her gynecologist at the Polyclinic hospital, the doctor handed over a prescription listing a number of supplements that would help the expecting mother to improve her diet. “My doctor has asked me to include protein, iron and calcium-rich food in my routine diet,” she said. But when asked about iodine, Arhsad had no reply.

Many women like her are not aware of the importance of iodine. Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) in women can lead to infertility, miscarriages and increases the chances of having physically and mentally challenged children. IDD in children can cause disruption in mental growth, low school performance and surge in school dropout rates.