Perhaps the greatest challenge to overcoming IDD is not technical; it's political. Thus, when Indian prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh last week at an international policy consultation in New Delhi, identified "hidden hunger" including India's severe iodine deficiency, that political support is news indeed. The prime minister's statement was posted online by his office.

"He noted that malnutrition is not only a consequence of poverty, but a cause of poverty since it undermines human productivity. He called for action.

"Malnutrition remains a serious problem in India and many developing countries. Globally, nearly 1 billion people still go hungry. Nearly one in four children under age of five is underweight. The problem of hidden hunger—that is, deficiencies of essential vitamins and minerals, such as iron, Vitamin A and iodine — is also severe. Nutrition is therefore a serious challenge that has not received the attention it truly deserves.

"Malnutrition is not only a consequence of poverty, it is also a cause of poverty. A malnourished child is more vulnerable to disease and less able to earn a leaving. The complexity of causes that underlie malnutrition calls for a multi-sectoral strategy to address the three key issues of availability, access and absorption."