KATHMANDU, April 4: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) halted its support, leading to the suspension of the Micronutrient Study Survey.
The Nutrition Section of the Family Welfare Division under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) confirmed that they had to stop the survey, which was initially planned with USAID's assistance. A few days ago, USAID informed the Nutrition Section through a letter about the withdrawal of support.
"We had to stop our major program after receiving an email informing us about the withdrawal of support," said Leela Bikram Thapa, the head of the Nutrition Section at MoHP. The survey aimed to gather information on the status of micronutrients in the bodies of Nepali people. Based on the survey's findings, necessary policies, programs, and awareness campaigns were to be determined.
The government completed several stages of a national-level study survey to gather data on the iodine content in salt produced in Nepal, its usage, and its effects, which has been a point of concern this year. "We were in the final stage of obtaining approval for the study survey from the Nepal Health Research Council, but the study became impossible after the budget was halted," he said.
He explained that due to the small budget, the study survey was not feasible, and there are currently no alternatives. The survey requires two million US dollars, or about Rs 270 million.
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In 2016, Nepal conducted a micro-nutrient study survey with USAID's support. The Nepal Demographic and Health Survey, published every ten years, has also been conducted with USAID's assistance. Thapa also informed that, in addition to the nutrition survey, the breastfeeding program for this year has also been halted.
Amid discussions on the high iodine content in Nepal's salt and its health impacts, Thapa acknowledged the necessity of the study but noted that finding an alternative has become difficult recently.
A report released by the Nepal Investigative Multimedia Journalism Network (NIMJIN) revealed that excessive iodine in salt has caused an increase in thyroid issues and other health problems among Nepali people.
Thapa clarified that it would be inaccurate to label iodine levels as a national problem without conducting a national survey. He emphasized that only after the survey can a conclusion be drawn. However, he highlighted that the lack of funding has left the program in uncertainty.
A 2016 survey, conducted with the support of USAID, found that the iodine content in Nepali salt was not excessively high, and in some provinces, it was even lower. However, the survey revealed that children aged 6 to 9 years had an iodine level of 314 micrograms.
The World Health Organization's standards recommend a minimum iodine level of 150 micrograms, with a daily salt intake of no more than 5 grams. However, the 2016 survey showed that Nepalis were consuming 9 to 10 grams of salt daily.
Thapa, the head of the Nutrition Section, explained that the higher iodine levels in Nepalis were due to their excessive salt consumption. He clarified that the issue stemmed not from the iodine content in packaged salt but from the habit of consuming large amounts of salt.
He also pointed out that even those who consumed more salt did not exceed the recommended iodine levels. According to him, individuals who consumed 9 to 10 grams of salt daily did not exceed an iodine intake of 500 micrograms. An iodine intake above 1,100 micrograms per day is considered excessive. Thapa concluded that the problem arose from excessive salt consumption, not from an excess of iodine.
He also mentioned that they had launched a campaign to reduce salt consumption after discovering that people were consuming excessive amounts of salt daily. "During the non-communicable disease screening campaign held last Falgun (mid-February to mid-March), we advised people to reduce their salt intake," he said.
He explained that exceeding the recommended salt intake could lead to problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, and kidney failure. He suggested that reducing salt intake could help prevent these issues, along with other health problems caused by excessive iodine.
However, he stressed that a comprehensive national micronutrient survey is necessary to obtain accurate data on the effects of excessive iodine and its impact on public health.