The campaign for “Saktong Iodine sa Asin (Adequate Iodine in Salt)” continues in the Northern Mindanao province of Misamis Occidental. The United Nations’ Childrens’ Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and National Nutrition Council (NNC), region 10, will conduct a Multi-Sectoral Forum on the ASIN Law at the Royal Garden Hotel, this city, this coming Sept. 18.

A Media Forum launched the campaign in the province, last May 20, after it was found to have very low household salt iodine levels among the region’s five provinces, based on the results of an updated survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The FNRI survey showed that 81% of households are using iodized salt, but only 25 percent are using “adequately” iodized salt, ”Marissa Navales, NNC Program Officer, said.

The campaign urges to use not just any salt that is markes as iodized, but adequately iodized salt, as the FNRI study also shows a decrease in the median iodine level of household salt, from 11 parts per million (ppm) in 2005 to 4.9 ppm in 2008, far below the international recommendation of 15 ppm, in Region 10.