Vietnam wishes to receive continued support from international organisations to maintain the eradication of disorders caused by iodine deficiency, said Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong.

Speaking at a meeting in response to the Day that promotes the buying and use of iodized salt in Hanoi on November 2, Trong asked the Health Ministry, concerned agencies, localities and the media to pay more attention to the publicity campaign to prevent disorders caused by iodine deficiency.

He stated that due to objective and subjective reasons, Vietnam has failed to maintain its achievements in preventing iodine deficiency disorders which have been recorded since 2005.

Between 2001 and 2005, the National Programme on Preventing Iodine Deficiencies and the Endocrinology Institute had almost eradicated disorders caused by iodine deficiency with 92.3 percent of all households using iodized salt and the rate of children suffering from swollen thyroid glands reduced to a manageable level.

However, a recent survey of the Iodine Deficiency Prevention Project shows that during the 2008-2009 period, iodine deficiencies have reappeared in several areas nationwide, said Trong.

Therefore, completely eradicating iodine deficiency disorders is really a big challenge for Vietnam and a strong political commitment from central to local level is required, he added.

The UNICEF Representative in Vietnam Jesper Morch confirmed that the UN organisation in Vietnam has pledged continued support for and cooperation with the Vietnamese Government and Health Ministry to ensure that no-one suffers from iodine deficiency disorders any longer, especially women and children./.