-The Hindu In addition to ailments caused by poverty, salt pan workers across the country suffer from several occupational diseases, including chronic dermatitis, loss of vision and hypothyroidism In Adivasi Colony, a remote hamlet off the road from Vedaranyam to Kodikarai in Tamil Nadu, most of the adults in the 200-odd households work in salt manufacturing. They prepare salt pans manually, irrigate them with saline water which is three times saltier than...
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Iodine Deficiency during pregnancy adversely affects child’s mental development -Kounteya Sinha
-The Times of India LONDON: Iodine Deficiency during pregnancy, something rampant among Indian women, adversely affects the child's mental development. A UK study published in medical journal The Lancet on Thursday has shown that iodine - which is consumed mainly via dairy products and seafood - is essential for producing hormones made by the thyroid gland, which have a direct impact on fetal brain development. A recent Indian health ministry survey conducted in...
More »Social protection for food security by MS Swaminathan
Social protection has seen a sharp focus in the development policy agenda during the past decade. There is also a clear trend for making social protection, as well as food security, “rights-based”, rather than “discretionary”. Yet, no clear consensus has so far emerged concerning many basic design choices and implementation modalities. The Food Security Act 2011, which is now under the consideration of our parliament, is designed to achieve the...
More »With A Pinch Of Doubt -Amba Batra Bakshi
Double fortified salt is a good idea but... Iodine & Iron Iodised salt came to India in the late 1950s Today, 80 per cent of India uses iodised salt, which has reduced the incidence of goitre Fortifying salt with both iodine and iron can help fight another widespread condition—anaemia Double fortified salt, or DFS, could prove to be a game-changer in the fight against malnutrition But if the fight against...
More »More incentives for ASHAs-Aarti Dhar
The accredited social health activists (ASHAs) — the first port of call for health care under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) — will be entrusted with additional responsibilities, albeit with better monetary incentives, as the Mission Steering Group – the highest decision making body of the NRHM — has approved the proposal for involving them in activities such as spacing between births, promoting iodised salt and village sanitation. The ASHAs...
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