Salt iodisation and public health campaigns to eradicate iodine deficiency disorders in Armenia.

BACKGROUND Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) are endemic in the mountain regions of Armenia. Universal salt iodisation has been chosen as the control measure. OBJECTIVES (1). To measure the prevalence of iodine deficiency in the Armenian population; (2). to evaluate household use of iodised salt; and (3). to monitor iodised salt promotion strategies. DESIGN Cross-sectional study on a nationally representative sample of 2627 households, including 3390 children under five and 2649 women of fertile age. Cluster sampling design on four population strata: residents, refugees, rural and urban. RESULTS Thyroid was palpable in one-third of the women, 6% of them having a visible goitre. Median of urinary iodine excretion in children was 139.5 microg l-1. One-third of the children showed low urinary iodine concentration. Iodised salt was consumed in 66% of the households. The national IDD control programme included modernisation of the Yerevan Salt Factory, legislative regulation of the iodine content of the salt, and public information by the media. CONCLUSIONS Armenia was still an endemic zone for goitre in 1997. The iodine status of children under five in 1997 was not considered alarming even though 33% of them had low values of urinary iodine. After four years of intervention strategies, the use of iodised salt has increased by 17%. Further efforts should be made to control salt imports and to monitor IDD indicators in vulnerable groups.