Iodized salt advocate honored with 2009 Pollin Prize

Basil S. Hetzel, AC, MD, FRCP, emeritus professor of medicine at the University of Adelaide, Australia and the first/founding Executive Director of International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD), has been honored to receive the 2009 Pollin Prize.  The award ceremony was held in New York City this week. 

ICCIDD, The Network for the Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency and other global health agencies (WHO, UNICEF, UN World Food Program, and Gates Foundation-funded GAIN) agree that iodizing salt is the most sustainable solution to global IDD problems.

The Pollin Prize has only six previous winners (it is not awarded annually; only when contributions are judged outstanding).  It is comforting that a second salt-related winner has also been recognized.  The inaugural winners in 2002 were three Americans (Norbert Hirschorn, MD, David R. Nalin, MD and Nathiel F. Pierce) and one Indian, MD Dilip Mahalanabis,MD, who were honored for their contributions promoting Oral Rehydration Therapy.  ORT uses salt/sugar solutions to combat diarrhea. 

The award recognizes Dr. Hetzel for:

His pioneering work led to our understanding of the effects of iodine deficiency on brain development - and the importance of incorporating iodized salt in the diet to prevent brain damage in newborns.

Dr. Hetzel's research team in Papua New Guinea (1964-1972) established that brain damage could be prevented by correction of iodine deficiency before pregnancy. This groundbreaking research led him to begin a worldwide campaign to incorporate iodized salt into the diets of more than two billion people in some 130 countries where iodine is lacking.

The World Health Organization now recognizes that iodine deficiency is the most common preventable cause of brain damage in the world today.

Dr. Hetzel's efforts have prevented brain damage in millions of children. We honor his vision, leadership and discovery.

In 2002, the Pollin Prize committee pronounced ORT "The most important medical discovery of the 20th Century."  It's hard to name any more significant -- unless it is iodizing salt!

For those of us resident in the DC area, businessman Abe Pollin is often in the local news.  He owns the Washington Wizards NBA franchise and previously owned the NHL Washington Capitals and the WNBA Washington Mystics.  The Abe and Irene Pollin family is also renowned for their philanthropy; they live in suburban Washington.  Abe and wife Irene founded the prize and it receives continued support from the Linda and Kenneth Pollin Foundation.

Formally, the Pollin Prize in Pediatric Research, it recognizes outstanding lifetime achievement in biomedical or public health research related to the health of children.