The United Arab Emirates conducted a seminar this week celebrating its achievement of IDD freedom; 94% of the population has access to iodized salt. ICCIDD chair Jerry Burrow and regional coordinator Izzeldin Hussein participated in the event in Dubai. An English language story was carried by the Khaleej Times. RC Hussein's report is available online.

Despite having achieved iodine sufficiency, monitoring has discovered that half the "iodized" salt has insufficient amounts of iodine.

The Ministry of Health celebrated:

"Dr Mahomud Fikri, Assistant Undersecretary for Health Polices at the Ministry of Health, speaking on the risks of iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs), stressed that the major preventable cause of mental retardation in a new-born is iodine deficiency of the mother during pregnancy.

“'Each child born with iodine deficiency has a potential irreversible loss of 13 IQ points at birth,' he said.

“'The burden to the person, to the family and to the country and economy is enormous. Prevention is to ensure optimal iodine needs are met in the daily diet every day in the most economical, most efficient and scientifically proven delivery system; that is to adequately iodize all edible salt and to ensure universal access to adequately iodized salt at the household level all around the world,' he said. The UAE has committed to eliminate IDD in the country by adopting and implementing a national policy of Universal Salt Iodization (USI) as the major delivery process."