Salt iodization, ending "hidden hunger," free trade are top ROI public health investments

For the past two years, more than 50 economists under the aegis of the Copenhagen Consensus have been studying the 30 most promising public health interventions to help policy-makers prioritize public health investments.  They filed their report today and issued a news release summarizing their findings.

The top three:

1.  Combatting micronutrient malnutrition by fortifying foods with vitamin A and zinc.

2.  Completing the Doha round of international trade liberalization.

3.  Iodizing salt and fortifying foods with iron.

Micronutrient malnutrition ("hidden hunger") is the clear winner with two of the top three "solutions."  Fortifying with vitamin A and zinc return $17 for every dollar invested.  The benefits of iodizing salt are $9 for every dollar invested.  Although the U.S. solved its problems of iodine deficiency in the 1920s when it iodized salt, huge populations around the world still remain unprotected.

With the candidates for the Democratic US presidential nomination competing to bash free trade, #2 may gain some political salience.  But investing in micronutrient fortification -- including universal salt iodization -- should be high on the public health agenda.