Just returned from two weeks in Nepal.
The primary purpose was to start the process of distributing the iodised salt to remote and mountainous areas. This is to prevent the dreadful condition of iodine deficiency disease which causes goitre, cretinism, stillbirths, premature births and mental retardation.
We took urine samples from about 150 children to establish the incidence of the disease and gave out 200 containers of iodised salt to children and teachers.
The areas of distribution and collection were from 3-5 days from the nearest road so it necessitated us trekking there on foot. Fortunately the weather was superb with clear sunny days and cold nights. The views of the mountains were excellent with views of the whole Annapurna range including Dhaulagiri and Fishtail. Food in the tea houses was far better than expected. The real bonus for this trip was that I had three companions (now friends - I hope) from England who made the whole experience much more fun. Geoff Thompson, James Hyslop and Crispian Collins all brought with them skills and experiences that really added to the trip.
Before the trek started, we also met up with Bill Kyte, who is to extend the programme into the Nubra valley of Ladakh in North India, which is really good news.
I will now be seeking a large grant to try to roll out the iodised salt distribution programe throughout Nepal
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