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Tackling Gaps in The Implementation of The Lebanon National Salt Iodization Policy
Author(s) -
Akik Chaza,
ElMallah Carla,
ElJardali Fadi,
Zimmermann Michael,
Ghattas Hala,
Obeid Omar
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.312.7
Subject(s) - decree , christian ministry , government (linguistics) , public administration , business , environmental health , health policy , public health , political science , medicine , law , nursing , philosophy , linguistics
Despite a universal salt iodization law in Lebanon, a recent nationally representative study highlighted that the median urinary iodine concentration in schoolchildren was only 66 μg/L and almost 75% of 6 to 10 year old schoolchildren have mild iodine deficiency. As a result, identifying and addressing the existing gaps in the implementation of the salt iodization process became a crucial necessity. Herewith, we document the knowledge translation process initiated by researchers together with an international non‐governmental organization, and its subsequent impact. In collaboration with the Knowledge to Policy (K2P) Center, a policy brief was developed to synthesize the local and international evidence and viable policy options. Despite a mandatory salt iodization law issued by the Lebanese government, implementation barriers including loopholes in the law, outdated infrastructure and capacity of salt producers were identified. The law was also poorly evaluated and monitored by related authorities. Three policy options to address the issue were put forward 1) amending the law; 2) strengthening implementation of salt iodization by ensuring adequate standards, infrastructure and capacity; and 3) monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the law at the production, retail and consumer levels by building an efficient system for routine data collection. The policy brief was shared with relevant stakeholders and a national policy dialogue was held. Based on the policy deliberations, the following recommendations were put forward and implemented: (1) the Ministry of Public Health issued a ministerial decree providing clarifications on the existing law, including standards and mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation; (2) with support from international actors, salt producers were trained on monitoring protocols; (3) a one‐year supply of potassium iodate for fortification has been guaranteed by the United Nations Children's Fund. Once all actions are in place, program evaluation will be done at one year post‐implementation through a market analysis of salt samples and the reassessment of national level iodine status. However, further engagement from governmental authorities is needed to develop mechanisms to ensure sustainability of external monitoring and overcome structural barriers salt producers encounter in importing potassium iodate. Support or Funding Information This work was funded by the Iodine Global Network and supported by the K2P Center.