CEBU CITY (PIA) --  According to the 2015 National Nutrition Survey, one out of 10 or 11.7% of women of reproductive age in Central Visayas are suffering from anemia, a condition wherein there is an insufficient number of red blood cells in the body, thus limiting the body’s oxygen-carrying capacity. 

The condition can be a result of nutritional deficiencies or chronic health conditions.

Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) is an abnormality that results when the body does not get enough iodine, which is one of the main causes of thyroid disease. 

According to the results of a survey conducted by the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), IDDs are still prevalent among 15 provinces in the country, which recorded an overall median UIC below 99 µg/L (Iodine deficiency).

These are the provinces of Mountain Province, Benguet, Pangasinan, and Palawan in Luzon; Cebu; Antique; Capiz; Biliran; and Western Samar in Visayas; Bukidon; Davao Occidental; South Cotabato; Zamboanga del Norte; Zamboanga del Sur; and Basilan in Mindanao.

The decrease in the level of iodization that reached households and the lack of proper and adequate iodization of salt being used in the kitchen were seen as the primary factors that led to the inclusion of Cebu Province in the list of provinces with a high prevalence of iodine deficiency.

The iodization level of salt sold in supermarkets is 30 to 70 parts per million (ppm), but when it reaches the household, the level of iodization decreases to 15 to 45 ppm.

“If you buy iodized salt in supermarkets and store it in your kitchen where it has a high temperature, the iodine content may drop,” said Dr. Teofilo San Luis, national coordinator of the Iodine Global Network (IGN). 

“One of the key issues also is that we have iodized salt, but we don't really know how iodized that salt is,” added Robles.

The National Nutrition Council (NNC) in the region has been educating mothers to buy only iodized salt. 

"In the Department of Health, we have what we called SISASIN (Saktong Iodine sa Asin), so that's why we instruct our mothers to buy salt that has the SISASIN label,” said National Nutrition Council 7 Nutrition Program Coordinator Parolita Mission.

NNC-7 has also formed a regional task force to monitor the salt being sold in the local establishments. 

“We also monitor at the regional level. We have formed a regional task force. Every quarter, we take a sample of salt from the establishments so that we have a baseline and from there we can know if the iodine content of our salt is lacking, and for this, we can iodize the salt,” said Mission.

ThyroMobile 

To address the issue of iodine deficiency in the country, a group of healthcare professionals, partners, and stakeholders have collaborated to undertake a medical mission that will enhance the delivery of thyroid health care in vulnerable communities in the Philippines. 

The Philippine Thyroid Association (PTA), Thyroid Federation International (TFI), Iodine Global Network Philippines (IGNP), and Salinas Foods Inc., in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), have come up “ThyroMobile,” a vehicle that serves as a state-of-the-art mobile laboratory. 

The ThyroMobile will bring thyroid health services to targeted communities across the country.

These thyroid health services include diagnostic, therapeutic, and educational services that will be extended to different localities with high iodine deficiency.

“The ThyroMobile is one of our strategies in bringing the services down to the vulnerable communities, with this program, makuha natu didto sa community kinsa katung mga nagkinahanglan (we will determine who is most in need of these services in the community), and then we can also educate them so that they will have enough knowledge why there is a need for iodine kay taas ang iodine deficiency,” said Dr. Jeremy Robles, president of the Philippine Thyroid Association, during the September 25, 2023 launching of the ThyroMobile at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City. 

“If you belong to far-flung places, how do you address the issues of thyroid disease in that area? The concept of ThyroMobile will address that,” Robles added.

ThyroMobile Medical Mission

During the launch of the said initiative at VSMMC, a lay forum was held on the ThyroMobile service delivery components at Brgy. Carreta, Cebu City.

The ThyroMobile will go around in various areas in Cebu City from September 25 to 26 to provide free thyroid testing and other related services to individuals, eliminating the need for them to travel to health centers and facilities to avail of the said clinical assessments.

Cebu is the 8th province visited by ThyroMobile since it was first launched in Pangasinan in April of this year.

Other areas that are targeted to be visited by the medical mission are provinces with a high prevalence of IDDs. 

Collaboration with partners and LGUs

The organizers of the ThyroMobile are looking forward to working with more partners, especially the local government units that want to adopt the same initiative. 

The team will continue to bring its free medical mission to more communities in the country. 

The proponents, along with the Department of Health, are open to establishing more joint efforts with the health care sector, local government, and medical stakeholders in promoting thyroid health awareness, extending free thyroid health services to more targeted communities and eventually address the IDDs in the country.

The ThyroMobile is expected to bring its free services to Bukidnon next month. (RGC/PIA7 Cebu)