12% of households in Volta Region consume iodated salt

Iodated salt consumption in the Volta Region stands at 12 %, a survey of household consumption of the product by the Volta Regional Health Directorate in May has shown.

Kpando District registered the highest consumption at 41.1% followed by the Nkwanta-South District at 40.2 %.

Ketu-South and Ketu-North Districts were the least consuming districts in the region at 5.7 percent and 5.0 percent respectively.

Mr Charles Azaglah, Ketu-South Disease Control Officer of the Ghana Health Service, said this at a workshop in Denu on iodated salt production, marketing and consumption.

The workshop, attended by food vendors, Assembly members, chiefs, salt winners and traders from salt winning areas south of  the region, aimed at stimulating the treatment of ordinary salt with  iodine, its sale and consumption.

The survey showed that consumption of iodated salt was more popular in the northern part of the Volta Region than in the southern part of the region.

Mr. Azaglah cautioned the participants that their people risked suffering from iodine deficiency disorders for failing to consume iodated salt and that it was to prevent this that UNICEF has donated iodine treatment equipment to salt winners at Adina near Denu.

He said pregnant women risked losing their pregnancies out of non consumption of iodated salt and their babies becoming mentally retarded if born.

Mr Azaglah said proper growth and functioning of some glands could also be inhibited by iodine deficiency in the body and appealed to salt winners in the area to treat their salt with iodine and the public to patronize iodated salt.

Source: GNA