Encourage national IDD programme managers and salt producers, supported by UNICEF/WHO/ICCIDD, to design and implement and/or strengthen external monitoring systems in addition to internal (producer/packers) quality assurance systems. Governmental monitoring systems need to include both process (iodine in salt, coverage) and impact (urinary iodine) components up to a defined standard. This will assist in overcoming one of the biggest weaknesses in national iodization programmes.

Enlist the support of the Programme Against Micronutrient Malnutrition (PAMM) to co-ordinate the establishment of reference laboratories in the region within the next three months for salt testing using standard sampling and analytical procedures. Similar regional reference laboratories will be set up for urinary iodine analysis.

Recommend that ministries of health, national salt associations, with support from agencies, convince ministries of finance and regional bodies (SADC, COMESA, etc) to have the import tax on potassium iodate and iodizing plant withdrawn.

Support the initiative to harmonize legislated iodine levels at a range acceptable to all countries in the region to overcome the problems arising from the presently wide range of legislated iodine levels. More specifically, the three primary areas requiring harmonization are (a) standards for salt quality (permitted additives, levels of contaminants, labeling requirements), (b) method of analysis for iodine in salt (titration method), and (c) sampling protocols (Codex sampling procedure). Regional bodies should work on this harmonization as a matter of priority. ICCIDD/WHO/UNICEF to come up with manuals.

Actively promote the universal iodization of all salt, including animal feed salt, with exemptions for industrial salt based on legitimate premises.

Urge Governments, committed through the ratification of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, accept their responsibility to promote and support national iodization programmes through educating their population, notably the youth in and out of school.

Encourage salt suppliers to market iodized salt by means of a thoroughly prepared marketing strategy, emphasizing the benefit of iodized salt in the most appropriate manner, using a positive and continuous dynamic advertising process.

Call upon salt suppliers and marketers to promote the use of national/regional logos for iodized salt, and to encourage and strengthen a culture of demand for iodized salt at consumer level. Where there is no logo in specific countries, national IDD committees, in consultancy with salt suppliers should initiate the design of a suitable logo.

Request Salt Producers Associations, with assistance from UNICEF, to negotiate the supply of small packs of potassium iodate from the two main potassium sources to also benefit small producers.

Insist that customs, governmental monitoring officials, and bureaus of standards only use the titration method as the legal instrument for rejection or non-rejection of iodized salt. The rapid test kit, including re-test solution, should only be used for qualitative monitoring purposes. Encourage salt producers to establish internal quality assurance procedures, based on the titration method (internal and/or external), to ensure consistent quality of iodized salt.

Encourage salt producers to establish internal quality assurance procedures, based on the titration method (internal and/or external), to ensure consistent quality of iodized salt.

The use of iodized salt in all households will become the norm for producers, traders, governmental programme managers and consumers.

Partnerships be strengthened and sustained among all stakeholders, particularly between the public sector and salt suppliers, to ensure the achievement of USI.

Communication is improved amongst producers within and across countries in the region. This needs to be achieved through active salt associations, with regional liaison.

IDD program managers should be responsible for liaison with small-scale suppliers to ensure adequate communication, as small-scale producers are considered as equally important players as large producers in the national iodization programme of countries.

Small and large-scale producers and/or suppliers are represented on the national IDD committees.