BANGLADESH: IODINE DEFICIENY PLAGUES COUNTRYSIDE
JAMALPUR, BANGLADESH, Dic 17 (IPS) - MALEKA, 24, WIFE OF A WEALTHY LAND OWNER OF CHARNAGAR VILLAGE IN JAMALPUR DISTRICT, SOME 190 KMS NORTH OF THE CAPITAL DHAKA, WAS DISTRAUGHT AFTER THE DELIVERY OF HER SECOND STILL-BORN CHILD.
WORRIED FAMILY MEMBERS CONSULTED A PLETHORA OF DOCTORS TILL THEY TRACED THE CAUSE TO IODINE DEFICIENCY. KULSUM, THE WIFE OF A POOR FARMER FROM THE SAME VILLAGE WAS NOT SO LUCKY. SHE WAS DIVORCED BY HER HUSBAND FOR GIVING BIRTH TO THREE DEFORMED CHILDREN, ALL OF WHOM DIED WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF BIRTH.
DOCTORS ONCE AGAIN TRACED THE CAUSE TO IODINE DEFICIENCY. KULSUM AND MALEKA FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SPECTRUM REVEAL THE WIDESPREAD NATURE OF THE TOTALLY PREVENTABLE IODINE DEFICIENCY DISORDERS (IDD) IN THE REGION.
THE DISORDERS ARE MANIFEST NOT ONLY IN NEO-NATAL AND ANTENATAL CASES LIKE THEIRS THAT CAUSE 33,000 DEATHS IN THE FORMER CATEGORY AND 41,000 STILL BIRTHS ANNUALLY IN THE COUNTRY, BUT ALSO IN A HOST OF OTHER SEVERE MEDICAL PROBLEMS THAT PLAGUE JAMALPUR AND THE TWO OTHER NORTHERN DISTRICTS OF RANGPUR AND MYMENSINGH.
A NATIONAL IDD SURVEY CARRIED OUT JOINTLY BY DHAKA UNIVERSITY AND THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE CONTROL OF IDD WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF) REVEALED THAT 4.5 MILLION OF THE 15 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE THREE DISTRICTS SUFFERED FROM IDD RELATED DISEASES.
STUNTED GROWTH, MENTAL RETARDATION, GOITRE, DIFFICULTIES IN SPEECH, MOVEMENT AND HEARING ARE THE ALL TOO VISIBLE MANIFESTATIONS OF IDD IN THE AREA.
THE SURVEY FOUND THAT 68.9 PERCENT OR NEARLY 80 MILLION OF BANGLADESH'S 120 MILLION PEOPLE ARE BIOCHEMICALLY IODINE DEFICIENT. OF THESE, 47.1 PERCENT OR 50 MILLION PEOPLE SUFFER FROM GOITRE OR GLANDULAR SWELLINGS CAUSED BY THE DEFICIENCY.
THE HIGHEST PREVALENCE OF GOITRE WAS FOUND IN WOMEN OF CHILD BEARING AGE AND YOUNG GIRLS AGED BETWEEN FIVE AND 11 YEARS -- ILLUSTRATING THE NUTRITIONAL BIAS IN THE COUNTRY THAT TRADITIONALLY VALUES MALES MORE THAN FEMALES.
THE SURVEY ALSO FOUND CRETINISM OR MENTAL RETARDATION CAUSED BY IDD IN MORE THAN HALF A MILLION PEOPLE.
ASSUMING THAT MENTALLY IMPAIRED PERSONS ARE ONLY 75 PERCENT AS PRODUCTIVE AS NORMAL PEOPLE, SAY EXPERTS, BANGLADESH COULD BE LOSING 525 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR -- A VAST SUM FOR A COUNTRY WHERE MORE THAN 70 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION LIVES BELOW THE POVERTY LINE.
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