Srinagar: Seemingly alarmed by the rising cases of iodine deficiency, Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar has decided to conduct a Goiter survey among the school children in Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kupwara, and Shopian districts.
Teams from the Community Medicine department of GMC, Srinagar shall be visiting thirty clusters, each covering 90 boys and girls in pre-puberty age groups, covering 2700 children per district.
A total of 10800 children shall be enrolled in four districts in Kashmir. Every child enrolled in the study would be examined for any goiter. Goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid gland in the neck as per classification by World Health Organization (WHO).
In addition, salt samples shall be taken from every fifth enrolled child while urine samples will be collected from every tenth enrolled child to estimate iodine content is salt and urine respectively.
Directorate of School Education, Kashmir has already permitted the survey while addressing all concerned chief education officers of respective districts for necessary cooperation and support.
The survey is financed under National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Program (NIDDCP) and was delayed due to the COVID pandemic which forced the closure of schools for almost two years. Training of field staff has been given by senior faculty from the Department of ENT, GMC Srinagar.
“This study would tell us about the prevalence of iodine deficiency among a vulnerable population of 6-12 years which has been addressed through universal iodization of edible salt decades back. However, some population groups and strata are still found consuming rock salt which is devoid of iodine content thus making people vulnerable to iodine deficiency as water and soil are the main natural sources. However, due to rains and snow, the iodine is lost in the erosion of the upper layers of soil. Further faulty cooking practices also cause loss of iodine in foods,” said Dr. S. Muhammad Salim Khan Professor and HOD, Community Medicine, Government Medical College Srinagar who’s the principal investigator of the survey.
