Degree of public health significance of iodine nutrition
Number of countries classified by degree of public health significance of iodine nutrition based on median urinary iodine in school-age children by WHO region in 2003.
Table adapted from the following document:
de Benoist B et al., eds. Iodine status worldwide. WHO Global Database on Iodine Deficiency
Geneva, World Health Organization, 2004
| WHO Regiona | Classification of iodine nutrition | ||||||
| Severe iodine deficiency (Median UI < 20 µg/L) | Moderate iodine deficieny (Median UI 20-49 µg/L) | Mild iodine deficiency (Median UI 50-99 µg/L) | Optimal (Median UI 100-199µg/L) | Risk of IIHb in susceptible groups (Median UI > 200-299 µg/L) | Risk of adverse health consequences (Median UI > 300 µg/L) | No data | |
| Africa | 0 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 12 |
| Americas | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 15 |
| South East Asia | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Europe | 0 | 4 | 19 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Eastern Mediterranean | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Western Pacific | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 17 |
| Total | 1 | 13 | 40 | 43 | 24 | 5 | 66 |
a 192 WHO Members States
b IIH: Iodine-induced hyperthyroidism