Assessment of the sustainability of the iodine-deficiency disorders control program in Lesotho.

Background: Evaluation of the sustainability of iodine-deficiency disorders control programs guarantees successful and sustained virtual elimination of iodine deficiency. The Lesotho universal salt iodization legislation was enacted in 2000 as an iodine-deficiency disorders control program and has never been evaluated.

Objectives: To assess the sustainability of the salt iodization program in Lesotho, 2 years after promulgation of the universal salt iodization legislation.

Iodine content of salt 2 years after the introduction of the universal salt iodisation legislation in Lesotho.

The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of the universal salt iodisation legislation on I levels of salt at household, retail and entry level in Lesotho. We used a multistage proportion to population size method to select thirty-one clusters from all the districts and ecological zones of Lesotho. In each cluster, thirty households were randomly selected and salt samples were collected.

Iodine status as determined by urinary iodine excretion in Lesotho two years after introducing legislation on universal salt iodization.

Objective: Mild to severe iodine deficiency has been documented in Lesotho since 1960. To eliminate the persisting iodine deficiency, legislation on universal salt iodization was introduced in 2000 as a long-term public health intervention strategy. We assessed the urinary iodine status of school children and women of child-bearing age in Lesotho 2 y after the introduction of legislation on universal salt iodization.

Prevalence of goitre and urinary iodine status of primary-school children in Lesotho.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of goitre, urinary iodine status, coverage of supplementation of iodized oil capsules, and current use of iodized salt in children in Lesotho.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of children from 50 primary schools in Lesotho. Thyroid glands of children aged 8-12 years were measured by palpation and graded according to the WHO, UNICEF, and the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency's (ICCIDD) joint criteria.