© UNICEF/UN0210874/Noorani

Eliminating Iodine Deficiency

There are still children and babies in parts of the world who do not receive enough iodine in their diets, putting them at risk of irreversible brain damage. Fortunately, there is a simple solution: iodized salt.  

Kiwanis International has been fighting iodine deficiency, or IDD, since 1994. Working with UNICEF, the Kiwanis family came together to raise funds in support of salt iodization, testing and monitoring, and community outreach and education.

The result: more than US$105 million to help kids reach their full potential.  

Today, about 88% of households worldwide have access to iodized salt — an outcome that UNICEF has hailed as one of the greatest public health triumphs of the 20th century. Thanks to the Kiwanis family’s success in raising funds and awareness, millions of children have been protected against the devastating effects of iodine deficiency.

In fact, UNICEF has reported that Kiwanis-raised funds are now at work in more than 89 nations — and more than 80 million children in the developing world will be born free of IDD. Kiwanis is also a partner with the Iodine Global Network, the world’s most authoritative voice on iodine nutrition.

The Kiwanis Children's Fund continues to make the elimination of iodine deficiencies a priority. Read about our recent efforts in Myanmar and Morocco.