RESUMO
Under the supervision of the central and local health authorities, a pilot project was conducted in four villages in the Luangprabang Province, Lao PDR. The objective of the project was to test different regimes to supplement females with oral iron preparations to reduce iron deficient anemia (IDA) and control iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) in school children. Compared with iron sulphate tablets, iron fumerate tablets were well accepted and good compliance results were achieved. Hemoglobin concentration improved only in the group of females taking iron fumerate tablets. The goiter rate decreased from approximately 90% to about 45% for school children, regardless of whether iodine salt were used by their families or whether iodine capsules were used to treat the children. The latter attempt was hampered by the fact that also in the control village iodine fortified salt was used. This was due to a governmental attempt to control IDD nation-wide. Therefore, also in the control village a significant decrease in the goiter rate was observed.