NGO News Desk :: The Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation- with the financial and technical support of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) — convened a two-day workshop in Dhaka among key government and industry partners to solicit feedback on and
approval of a national manual to improve the quality of iodized salt available in the country. GAIN and the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) are providing technical assistance to ensure the manual incorporates best global practice.
The Government of Bangladesh began its commitment to eliminating iodine deficiencies in 1989 when it
established the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorder (CIDD) Project within the Small and Cottage
Industries Corporation under the Ministry of Industries. Maintaining quality of iodized salt from
production to consumption is a key project focus.
The manual, which is aligned with internationally agreed-upon best practice and management and salt
quality standards, will be adapted to the Bangladeshi context. The tool will provide guidelines so salt
producers and regulatory agencies can improve their iodization and testing practices.
Key partners participating in the workshop gave feedback on the tool:
Mr. Dilip Barua, Honorable Minister, Ministry of Industries: “The manual will help ensure consistent
availability of adequately iodized salt through engaging salt producers. I congratulate GAIN for this great
initiative.”
Eng. Md. Mansur Ali Sikder Additional Secretary, Ministry of Industries: “The effort will help increase the
availability of adequately iodized salt in the consumer market to eliminate iodine deficiency. I appreciate
GAIN’s effort and look forward to GAIN’s technical leadership on operationalization of quality
assurance/quality control protocols in the country.”
Chairman, BSCIC, Mr. Fakhrul Islam: “Adaptation of the appropriate manual will help sustainably reach
90 percent of Bangladeshis with adequately iodized salt.”
Executive Director, GAIN, Marc Van Ameringen: “Partnership, policy and political commitment will bring
a significant improvement of iodized salt quality to benefit the most marginalized.”
Project Coordinator, ICCIDD, Dr. Gregory Gerasimov: “Salt producers must make sure that iodized food
grade salt is always safe and contains the right level of iodine.”
About CIDD Project/Ministry of Industries
Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) initiated the Control of Iodine Deficiency
Disorders (CIDD) Project through the Universal Iodization of Salt Project in 1989. The Global Alliancefor Improved Nutrition (GAIN), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the MicronutrientInitiative (MI) are official partners of the CIDD project. The program is in its third phase and targeted toreduce iodine deficiency by increasing production and consumption of adequately iodized salt to 90percent of the population, including newborns, by 2016.
About GAIN
Driven by a vision of a world without malnutrition, GAIN was created in 2002 at a Special Session of theU.N. General Assembly on Children. GAIN supports public-private partnerships to increase access tothe missing nutrients in diets necessary for people, communities and economies to be stronger andhealthier. GAIN’s goal is to improve the lives of 1 billion people within the most vulnerable populationsaround the world through access to sustainable nutrition solutions. In Bangladesh, GAIN supportsprograms in agriculture and nutrition, school nutrition, large scale food fortification and infant and youngchild nutrition that collectively aim to reach over 125 million Bangladeshis. For more information, pleasevisit us at www.gainhealth.org, follow us on Twitter @GAINalliance and like us on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/GAINalliance.
About ICCIDD
The International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) is the onlyinternational organization specifically constituted to promote optimal iodine nutrition and the eliminationof iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). ICCIDD formed in 1985 to bridge the gap between availableknowledge and its application to attain iodine sufficiency for the millions at risk. ICCIDD has played amajor role in communicating the IDD threat to decision makers of national governments andinternational agencies and to a wide variety of health professionals and planners. www.iccidd.org
