SRINAGAR: The Union Health Ministry’s latest disclosure in Parliament has raised concerns over iodine deficiency in Jammu and Kashmir, where efforts under the National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme (NIDDCP) have remained inadequate despite increasing financial allocations. The region, which reported an expenditure of Rs 6.54 lakh in 2022-23 and Rs 11.41 lakh in 2023-24, has seen its approved budget for 2024-25 rise to Rs 84.67 lakh, yet challenges persist in addressing iodine deficiency disorders.
According to an official response tabled in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel, the government has been implementing NIDDCP across all states and Union Territories to curb disorders caused by iodine deficiency, including mental and physical retardation, deaf-mutism, and stillbirths. The programme aims to ensure that at least 100 per cent of households consume adequately iodised salt while keeping the prevalence of iodine deficiency disorders below 5 per cent nationwide. Despite these efforts, data from the National Family Health Survey (2019-2021) indicated that 2.9 per cent of respondents reported goitre or thyroid disorders, highlighting the continued public health risk.
The government has intensified its information, education, and communication (IEC) efforts to promote awareness about iodine deficiency, particularly through television and radio broadcasts, pamphlet distributions, and campaigns in collaboration with various publicity agencies, including Doordarshan and All India Radio. Global Iodine Deficiency Disorder Prevention Day is also observed annually on October 21 to reinforce public engagement. However, experts argue that the rising expenditure in states like Jammu and Kashmir has yet to translate into effective grassroots implementation, with many rural areas still lacking access to adequately iodised salt.
The Lok Sabha response also provided a breakdown of financial allocations for iodine deficiency control, showing significant year-on-year variations. Jammu and Kashmir, which received no funds in 2020-21 and 2021-22, saw its expenditure increase to Rs 16.74 lakh in the current fiscal year, yet Ladakh remains largely underfunded, with just Rs 0.75 lakh spent so far. Public health officials have called for a more targeted approach, including better monitoring of salt iodisation and expanded community outreach programmes, to ensure that funds allocated under NIDDCP lead to tangible improvements in iodine intake across the region.
