Apr 17, Kathmandu- The Iodized Salt Production, Sale and Distribution Act, 2055 BS, which had not been officially implemented even after two decades of its promulgation, has been implemented.

The act finally came into effect after the proposal brought by Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Poudel was passed in the Cabinet meeting on Baisakh 2.

This has opened the legal path for the Ministry of Health to move forward with work on solving the health problems caused by excessive iodine found in children in previous research.

Although the notice of the promulgation of the Act was published in the Gazette on 1 Magh 2055, the Act stated that it would come into effect from the date specified by publishing a notice in the Gazette. However, since the governments since then have not published a notice in the Gazette for implementation, the Act has not been legally implemented.

Due to this, regulations and guidelines for implementing and regulating the Act could not be formulated. Now, after two and a half decades, the legal path has been opened for the ministry to take this work forward.

Tuesday's cabinet meeting decided to publish a notice in the gazette with effect from 1st July 2082. The act is finally coming into effect after 26 years of its enactment.

Research conducted by the ministry itself a decade ago showed that children in Nepal were suffering from serious health problems due to the availability of iodine over the required standards, said Lila Bikram Thapa, head of the nutrition section under the ministry's health services department.

In a micronutrient analysis survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Population in 2016, 314 micrograms per litre of urine of 6 to 9-year-old children was found to contain 300 micrograms per litre. Doctors say that this is the reason for problems such as high blood pressure and thyroid.

Although it has been put into practice, the fact that the Act has not been published in the Gazette and the details of the Act, including the area have not been notified, has hindered the resolution of health problems by formulating regulations and guidelines, etc, said Dr. Prakash Budhathoki, spokesperson for the ministry.

“Now it will be easier for the health, agriculture and related ministries to work together to revise the standards or do other necessary work”, he said.