Role of Effective Enforcement of Salt Iodization Legislation in Improving the Supply and Distribution of Adequately Iodized Salt.

Objectives: The production and distribution of non iodized salt is banned by the legislation in Senegal and the Ministry of Trade (MoT) supported by the police forces and the Department of Hygiene of the Ministry of Health is mandated to enforce this legislation. However, household use of iodized salt remains <70%. We undertook this survey to compare apparent governmental commitment to enforcing salt iodization legislation and production of iodized salt. Methods: Technical and logistical support were provided to regional offices of MoT covering salt producing regions and Five year data trends were collected from regional MoT offices in two salt producing regions. Analyses included: number and frequency of enforcement activities in productions sites, fines paid by defaulters and total production of adequately iodized salt in comparison to changes in leadership at these offices. Results: Between 2008 and 2012, the level of enforcement/ field controls decreased sharply in region 1 (from 138 to 35) and increased in region2 (from 30 to 140). Fines paid by defaulters between 2008 and 2012 were 600,000FCFA in region1 against 4,075,000FCFA in region2. In region 1, the production and distribution of adequately iodized salt declined from 20,000 to 12,000 MT per year in 2008 and2012, while in region2it steady increased from 6,000 to 25,000 MT per year in2008 and 2012, respectively. Conclusions: Whatever the resources used in training small salt producers, and communicating for their behavior change, Universal Salt Iodization will be difficult to achieve without a commitment of the authorities responsible for enforcing regulations.

Targeted Involvement of Women in Iodized Salt Related Microenterprises Contributes to the Empowerment and Improved Social-economic Status of Participating Women in Senegal.

Objectives: Senegal is the largest producer and trader of salt in West Africa with ~200,000 MT of its 500,000 MT annual yield produced by small salt farmers, mostly comprised of women who face legal, economic and socio-cultural constraints. Micronutrient Initiative is working with the Senegal government's inter-Ministerial Commission to Fight Malnutrition to reinforce the salt iodization program and to achieve universal salt iodization. Program approaches include supporting salt farmers to set-up salt iodization related micro-enterprises to reinforce the capacity of salt farmers to sustainably handle salt iodization. We completed a situation assessment, plan development and implementation whose objective was to systematically review business practices and apply findings through training female salt farmers to sustainably and significantly contribute to increasing the supply of adequately iodized salt through implementation of well articulated and implemented business plans. Methods: Market analyses were conducted in one site among 60 respondents. The resulting business plan formulation and management was disseminated to female salt farmers and community groups, including supportive mentoring and monitoring throughout implementation of business plans for related micro-enterprises. Results: We found that active involvement of female salt farmers in decision making process within salt production area, household and communities increased female salt farmers' incomes, household asset ownership, self confidence and contributions in essential household expenditures such as education and health care, and iodized salt production. Conclusions: Supporting female salt farmers to set-up salt iodization related micro-enterprises contributed to the empowerment of rural women, improvement of quality of family life and the supply of adequately iodized salt.