On Monday 15 September, a Croatian charity team Bioleptir Hrvatska (Butterfly Croatia) will set out on a cross-European bicycle tour to raise awareness of thyroid disorders and iodine deficiency. The tour will cover 2100 km between Osijek in Croatia and London (UK) in 16 days, stopping in 15 European cities along the way.

Prof. Miljenko Bura, MD, Head of the Specialist Institute for Thyroid Surgery KBC Zagreb, Croatia, supports this initiative. He says: “Croatia continues to have a problem of iodine deficiency in individuals of all ages. […] It is important to note that Croatia has the status of a country with insufficient iodine intake.” A 2009 study showed that 53% of pregnant women in Zagreb had an insufficient iodine intake in the first trimester.

Organized under the patronage of the Croatian Olympic Committee, the tour will visit Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and Great Britain. The money raised in each country will support local organizations.