Smart Salt Helping to Reduce Iodine Deficiency in Indonesia

Salt is a curious and versatile substance. It comes from the sea and sometimes from deep in the earth. Throughout history, salt routes have crisscrossed the globe and salt has even been used as currency. Salt has been, and still is, highly prized for its abilities to season and preserve food, as well as for its antiseptic benefits to health. Not only that, but apparently salt can be smart, stupid and false. Or at the very least, certain kinds of salt can help make you smarter. Iodine deficiency is the leading preventable cause of brain damage and it can significantly lower the IQ of whole populations. The most severe impacts of iodine deficiency occur during fetal development and in the first few years of life. Today almost everyone in the world uses salt, and its a good thing considering how serious iodine deficiency can be and how much it can negatively impact health. Because salt is commonly consumed all over the world, even in impoverished areas, it is an ideal vehicle to carry iodine. Adding iodine to salt provides protection from brain damage due to iodine deficiency for whole populations, helping people and countries reach their full potential. Indonesias Basic Health Survey 2007 showed that only 23% of households in Bima and 28% of households in the Nusa Tenggara Barat Province were consuming adequately iodized salt, meaning iodine deficiency was a serious problem in Indonesia. Much of the problem was due to the widespread leakage of raw non-iodized salt and inadequately iodized salt from Bima into consumer markets across the country. In 2008, the Industry and Trade Office of Bima District and the Micronutrient Initiative (MI) worked on a pilot project to develop technology to iodize all non-iodized raw salt in Bima. They provided small salt processors with appropriate iodization facilities, iodization equipment and subsidized Potassium Iodate (KIO3) needed in the iodization process. Although iodine deficiency decreased after these steps, it was clear more work remained to be done.

MI Indonesias Iodine Deficiency Disorders National Program Officer, and his colleagues knew that an innovative new approach to branding iodized salt was needed in order to interrupt the leakage of uniodized or poorly iodized salt in the country. They also knew that their competitor in some regions was uniodized salt and in other regions was inadequately iodized or falsely labeled iodized salt. To combat this serious health issue, they came up with the creative idea of labeling iodized salt, which only costs a little bit more than uniodized salt, as smart salt and used that label in their social marketing campaigns. Not only that, but they wisely labeled uniodized salt as stupid salt and inadequately iodized or falsely labeled salt as false salt. In any advocacy chance, workshop and meeting on USI in Bima MI and UNICEF always use the term of stupid salt for non-iodized salt . A radio campaign using local language also encouraged Bima people not to consume stupid salt. The term of stupid salt then being use by concerned local authorities in urging people to consume iodized salt only. They asked the people dont consume the stupid salt, but consumed only iodized salt if you want your children becoming smart children. There is a big street banners with picture of Bima Head of District and wife stating : Want your child healthy and smart? Don not consume stupid salt, Just consume iodized salt !. This smart salt advocacy, campaign and onsiteiodization activities supported by MI in cooperation with Industry and Trade Office of Bima District had increased production of iodized salt by small processors in Bima from about 6.000 metric tones in 2008 to 25.000 metric tons in 2011. Families and parents soon began buying iodized salt in much higher numbers. MI and UNICEF USI Program in Bima has helped save 8.5.million lives from the risk of IDD not only in Bima district and NTB Province but also in other neighboring provinces (Bali, Nusa Tenggara Timur, and Maluku Provinces). The USI program had capitalized on a very motivating and real attribute of iodized salt: its ability to reduce

preventable brain damage and help improve IQ, thereby making it easier to market the salt to parents and convince them to buy a product that would improve their childrens health for only slightly more money. After all, all parents want the best for their childrens health.. The groups of salt farmers now have organized and regroup themselves into few self help groups (SHGs). MI, District Government of Bima and a Local NGO will facilitate the salt farmers association, SHGs to establish and develop business models for sustainable and adequate iodization including capacity development for iodization service units, develop model for provision of potassium iodate through a revolving fund mechanism as well as strengthening the USI monitoring and control function. It is expected that these activities will ensure more sustained USI activities in Bima District.