Purpose: A special opportunity to exchange international experience on IDD elimination through the participation in high level remobilization to accelerating going efforts in China toward Universal Salt Iodization.

Date: October 27-29, 2000

Venue: Beijing, China

Organizer: Ministry of Health and China National Salt Corporation

Co-organizers: UNICEF, World Bank, ADB, UNDP, UNIDO, WHO, AusAID, CIDA and the Micronutrient Initiative.

Program Overview:

Oct. 27 Attendance at the land mark national event for the national remobilization for IDD Control in China at the Great Hall of People on Tiananmen Square.

Oct. 28 Participation in a Special Workshop for international participants reviewing the process and steps in China to reach the USI goal in five years through Salt Industry Reform.

Oct. 29 Field visit to a salt production area and modernized facilities (products of the Reform).

Objective for the National Event:

• Celebrate the achievement of reaching national USI by 1999
• Redirect and focus the IDD control strategy to the remaining areas of the country yet to reach USI.

Objective for International Participants:

• To provide a practical overview of how China achieved USI rapidly (sound advocacy, attention of senior leadership, adequate investment for salt industry development)
• Define what is the experience and lessons learned of China that can apply to the home country of international participants.

Background:

Beginning with a status of only 39% that iodized salt coverage in 1995, China reached the first step of USI in 1999 with 91% of the entire population consuming iodized salt. Much of this progress resulted from high-level commitments and efforts to reform the salt industry.

The initial event to mobilize the country toward the USI goal was hosted by senior leaders in the Great Hall of People in 1993. The current remobilization effort in the same venue will, in part is to celebrate the achievement of USI. However, the major purpose of the re-mobilization event is to create further commitment and effort for those seven provinces that fell short the USI goal by 2000, and to assure those 21 provinces achieved USI goal to sustain this achievement.  

The main operational strategy of China has been is to increase the capacity of iodized salt production through modernization of large-scale production facilities and couple this with adequate IDD/salt surveillance. This led to the achievement of the national USI goal within the time frame set in 1993.

However, this strategy is not expected to be sufficient to help the remaining provinces to reach the USI goal because of easy availability of non-processed salt in these areas. In essence, the remobilization effort in October will launch and demonstrate high level backing for an additional control strategy needed for difficult to reach areas. This new strategy calls for local governments to control of the flow of non-iodized salt in the seven provinces that have not yet reached USI.

Key events leading to China’s initial USI goal to be detailed during the international component of the experience – exchange workshop can be summarized as:

• 1980's -- multiple studies across China demonstrated lower IQ among school children in IDD affected area.
• Early 1990's -- Advocacy effort by National experts, international organizations (ICCIDD, UNDP, UNICEF) lead to the planning for IDD elimination by key ministries
• 1991 -- Primer Li Peng signed the declaration for the World Summit for Children, which included a commitment for IDD elimination IDD by 2000.
• 1993 -- The formal launch of  “National Mobilization Meeting for IDD elimination” at the Great Hall of people, and Vice Premier Zhu Rongji affirm the commitment in meeting with representatives from the UN agencies.
  State Council held a conference to define the plan for “Regulations for IDD elimination by the year 2000” and define the role of National Salt Corporation as the principle agency salt production and distribution. Declare May 5 each year as IDD elimination day.
• 1995 -- Plan to modernize large-scale salt production facility formulated with partial support from a World Bank load. Uniform price set for iodized salt.
  Formal establishment of IDD Sub Salt Surveillance System.
• 1998/1999 -- Completion of the Salt Industry Reform
• 1999/2000 -- 21 provinces certified USI /IDD element
• 2000 -- Remobilization Conference

To support China in reaching the USI goal, the World Bank provided a loan of $27 million to the national Iodine Deficiency Disorder Control (IDDC) Project in 1995.