ISLAMABAD, June 4: Minister for Health Muhammad Nasir Khan Monday said the government was strictly monitoring the drug prices in the market to check any increase from producers’ end.

Addressing the launching ceremony of Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control and Universal Salt Iodisation Project here, the minister said the government had controlled the prices of drugs in the country and during last few years no increase had been recorded in its prices.

He said the ministry was making all out efforts to ensure quality control mechanisms to produce standard drugs.

He said special focus had been emphasised on personal hygiene and health and the government had adopted preventive health strategy for changing the people’s lifestyle.

The minister said the iodine deficiency disorders project focused on encouraging the salt producers in terms of capacity building and inducing a market driven approach for the availability of iodised salt.

He said under the project initially 20 districts were targeted while the programme would be expanded in phase-wise to cover all districts of the country.

Minister Khan said World Food Programme had also joined the government’s initiative for supporting 29 high risk districts in collaboration with existing partners.

He directed the nutrition wing of his ministry to strengthen partnership and coordination with key stakeholders to increase iodisation to 70 per cent by the end of 2008 and 90 per cent by 2010.

The minister said efforts were also underway for waving off import duty on KIO3 while sale tax on iodised salt has already been exempted.

He asked the people to play due role in creating awareness regarding iodisation to achieve the target of universal salt iodisation by the year 2010.

He said the government would continue its support to strengthen advocacy and mobilisation regarding iodine deficiency with focus on demand and supply mechanisms backed by monitoring.

Secretary Health Khushnood Akhtar Lashari said iodine deficiency disorders was a multi-sectoral issue, going beyond the public health sector requiring concerted effort of key stakeholders.

He said the ministry’s nutrition wing had embarked upon pursuing this programme by adopting multi-partner approach.

He asked all stakeholders to play their roles and fight against this alarming situation of iodine deficiency through strategic and collective efforts.

He said iodine deficiency and its attendant disorders have been a longstanding and enormous nationwide problem.

This is amply reflected by the various surveys conducted over time that over half of the country’s population to be at risk of a deficiency state, specially vulnerable groups such as women and children.

Recognising this scourge the government has supported all initiatives to tackle this issue, he added.

He said to address this on a national scale ‘Iodine deficiency disorders control programme’ was launched in 1994 using ‘universal salt iodisation’ as the easiest, quickest and cheapest strategy to achieve iodine sufficiency.—APP