Current Iodine Status in Europe and Türkiye in the Light of the World Health Organization European Region 2024 Report: Are We Losing Our Achievements?

Iodine is a vital micronutrient and an essential component of the thyroid hormones. Iodine deficiency
(ID) causes a wide range of conditions called iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs), consisting of diverse
presentations in different age groups. Adequate iodine nutrition is especially important for women
during pregnancy and lactation since iodine has a crucial role in the neurodevelopment of the fetus.
Iodine deficiency has been cited as the leading preventable cause of mental impairment worldwide.
The impacts of ID have imposed enormous, preventable resource costs on healthcare systems glob-
ally, which has made it one of the most serious public health problems across the world in the past
decades. Several public health programs have been established to combat IDD. Universal salt iodiza-
tion has been the mainstay of those programs, resulting in a striking decrease in severe ID glob-
ally. Nevertheless, mild ID, especially in pregnancy and early life, remains a public health concern in
many parts of the world including European countries and Türkiye. Progress toward optimal iodine
nutrition worldwide requires sustained efforts, continuous reinforcement, monitoring, and dedica-
tion, especially from policymakers and public health workers. In the absence of these measures, the
achievements made over a century could be lost in a short period of time.

Cite this article as: Tan Öksüz SB, Erdoğan MF. Current iodine status in Europe and Türkiye in the light of the World Health Organization European region 2024 report: are we losing our achievements?. Endocrinol Res Pract. 2025;29(2):140-148.