Pretell Eduardo A
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. Lima, Perú.
Academia Nacional de Medicina. Lima, Perú.
Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica. 2017 Jul-Sep;34(3):538-543. doi: 10.17843/rpmesp.2017.343.2861.
Scientific research is an essential public health function, enabling recognition of problems that compromise health and facilitating solutions. Research is essential to formulate health policy at a national level. There has been significant but inconsistent overall progress, due to economic conditions in low- and middle-income countries. An example that illustrates this situation is the investigation of iodine deficiency (ID) in Peru, and the application of the results for development of a public health program. The research demonstrated persistent ID, which causes fetal brain damage and subsequent mental retardation. The use of iodinated oil to prevent and treat ID was shown to have an immediate and long-term effect, and confirmed that urinary concentration of iodine was the best indicator of iodine intake. These results were accepted by the Ministry of Health, and the National Program for the Control of Endemic Goiter and Cretinism was created in 1983, achieving virtual elimination of ID by 1995.
科学研究是一项重要的公共卫生职能，有助于识别危害健康的问题并推动解决方案的形成。研究对于制定国家层面的卫生政策至关重要。由于低收入和中等收入国家的经济状况，总体上取得了显著但并不一致的进展。秘鲁对碘缺乏症（ID）的调查以及将结果应用于制定公共卫生项目就是说明这种情况的一个例子。该研究表明碘缺乏症持续存在，会导致胎儿脑损伤及随后的智力迟钝。使用碘油预防和治疗碘缺乏症显示出即时和长期效果，并证实尿碘浓度是碘摄入量的最佳指标。这些结果得到了卫生部的认可，1983年设立了全国地方性甲状腺肿和克汀病控制项目，到1995年几乎消除了碘缺乏症。
