Objective
Despite the fact that iodine deficiency (ID) can easily be prevented by iodine fortification of table salt, industrial salt and cattle food, Europe belongs to the worst regions in terms of access to iodized salt and is seriously ID, resulting in the perpetuation of the single most important, preventable cause of brain damage. European ID is due to significant heterogeneity in prevention and monitoring programs, leading to inappropriate interventions, increased disease burden, health inequities and increased health care costs. Up to 360 Million European citizens are exposed to ID disorders. An effective European monitoring program is a crucial step towards eradication of ID disorders with significant benefits for European citizens and the sustainability of health care systems. The effects of ID in total cause tremendous, preventable costs in health care systems of affected regions.
The overall aim of EUthyroid is to evaluate ID prevention and monitoring programs in 24 European countries, to initiate capacity building for harmonized European ID prevention and monitoring programs, and to disseminate project outcomes for supporting measures on national and EU level in order to eradicate ID disorders in Europe. The project will position itself as international hub of current national initiatives in the attempt to coordinate and support existing national activities. EUthyroid will generate the first harmonized data set of ID resulting in the first valid map of iodine status in Europe. With a dedicated dissemination program about the unfavorable health outcomes of ID, EUthyroid will pave the way for a harmonized EU-wide regulation of iodination, a common approach to iodine and outcome monitoring and establish recommendations for scientists on how to monitor IDD prevention programs. The project aims to make Europe a benchmark for ID disorder prevention worldwide.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Call for proposal
H2020-PHC-2014-two-stage
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
17489 Greifswald
Germany
Participants (30)
00271 Helsinki
K1E 3E0 Ottawa On
265 04 Rio Patras
3015 GD Rotterdam
1586 Riga
GU2 7XH Guildford
6060 Hall In Tyrol
3400 Hillerod
8092 Zuerich
1030 Wien
08036 Barcelona
10000 Zagreb
1050 Bruxelles
1504 Sofia
56126 Pisa
91904 Jerusalem
5817 Bergen
4032 Debrecen
1000 Ljubljana
31007 Krakow
08916 Badalona Barcelona
1000 Skopje
BT7 1NN Belfast
751 05 Uppsala
101 Reykjavik
31052 Toulouse Cedex 3
50410 Tartu
11694 Praha Nove Mesto
1400-204 Lisboa
462 80 Vanersborg