The level of awareness of why iodine is necessary for human consumption is declining not only with the general public but also with policy makers and health care professionals leading to resurgence of iodine deficiency.

Iodine deficiency during pregnancy results in adverse health effects not only to the mother but more so to the child during its first 1000 days of life beginning from conception. The mother with severe IDD will potentially give birth to a child threatened with cretinism and growth retardation.  Severe Iodine Deficiency can reduce a child’s IQ by up to 10-15 points and even mild iodine deficiency can cause a significant loss of up to 5 IQ points.

Universal salt iodization is the first-line strategy for supplementation of iodine and is highly recommended for women living in iodine-deficient countries who are planning pregnancy and throughout its various stages and even beyond lactation.

The MotherBabyIodine project aims to bring attention to the extent and consequences of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) in pregnant women and women of reproductive age (15-45) which continue to affect both developed economies and countries in development.

The 5 Project leaders have taken the initiative to launch a multi-stakeholder campaign to raise awareness about the causes and consequences of IDD with the general public, initially in Indonesia and subsequently throughout the world.