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AlexMennen comments on SRG 4: Biological Cognition, BCIs, Organizations - Less Wrong Discussion

7 Post author: KatjaGrace 07 October 2014 01:00AM

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Comment author: AlexMennen 07 October 2014 02:07:21AM 7 points [-]

Lifelong depression of intelligence due to iodine deficiency remains widespread in many impoverished inland areas of the world--an outrage given that the condition can be prevented by fortifying table salt at a cost of a few cents per person and year.

According to the World Health Organization in 2007, nearly 2 billion individuals have insufficient iodine intake. Severe iodine deficiency hinders neurological development and leads to cretinism, which involves an average loss of about 12.5 IQ points. The condition can be easily and inexpensively prevented through salt fortification.

Wow. Are there any charities working on decreasing iodine deficiency? Why haven't I heard effective altruists hyping this strategy?

Comment author: [deleted] 07 October 2014 04:19:39AM *  10 points [-]

As of July 30, GiveWell considers the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders Global Network (ICCIDD) a contender for their 2014 recommendation, according to their ongoing review. They also mention that they're considering the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), which they've had their eye on for a few years. They describe some remaining uncertainties -- this has been a major philanthropic success for the past couple decades, so why is there a funding gap now, well before the work is finished? Is it some sort of donor fatigue, or are the remaining countries that need iodization harder to work in, or is it something else?

(Also, average gains from intervention seem to be more like 3-4 IQ points.)

Comment author: CarlShulman 07 October 2014 11:10:12PM 5 points [-]

Part of their reason for funding deworming is also improvements in cognitive skills, for which the evidence base just got some boost.

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