What are the implications of iodine deficiency for Australia?
Iodine deficiency affects the whole community and can lead to increasing rates of thyroid disease amongst the general population, and higher rates of intellectual impairment in children. Based on overseas studies, it is also estimated that thyroid disease causes about $250 million loss in productivity in Australia each year.3 There are also the costs to the community for health services to support people with impaired development due to iodine deficiency.
