Sir Roger visits Cambodia, Oct. 2003

Roger Moore was shaken and stirred on Oct. 23, 2003 to call for greater production of iodized salt in Cambodia to prevent diseases caused by a lack of the nutrient.

Roger Moore approaches a baby held by a local woman Thursday, Oct. 23, 2003 during his visit to Kampot, a salt producing region, 130 kilometers southwest of Phnom Penh - © AP Photo/Nathan Dexter

"This is a serious problem, although it's not as dramatic as sort of an epidemic," said Sir Roger who arrived in Cambodia to campaign for iodized salt. "It is something that is there and has to be combatted," he said in a telephone interview before heading out to Kampot province to visit its salt fields. Kampot is a major salt producing region 80 miles southwest of Phnom Penh. According to the United Nations, the percentage of households in the developing world using iodized salt surged from less than 20 percent in 1990 to 70 percent in 2000. But in Cambodia, only 12 percent of households consume iodized salt. "That is not good enough," said Roger Moore. "It means that 88 percent of the population are being denied the chance (to lead) a healthy life." Last year, 46 million children were born without protection from iodine deficiency, the world's greatest cause of preventable mental retardation, according to UNICEF. More than half the children born in Cambodia each year are at risk of developing iodine deficiency disorders.

Iodine deficiency in pregnant women causes miscarriages, stillbirths or neonatal deaths, and can lead to health problems among children born to iodine-deficient mothers. Sir Roger Moore was set to visit Kampot, a salt producing region, 130 kilometers southwest of Phnom Penh. He will speak with salt manufacturers and local officials about the importance of iodized salt. Prime Minister Hun Sen signed a decree, requiring that salt made in Cambodia or imported into the country be iodized.

Roger Moore and his wife Christina Tholstrup greet a Cambodian child at a village near some salt-fields in the province of Kampot, around 160 km southwest of Phnom Penh on October 23, 2003 - © AP Photo/Nathan Dexter

Other countries experiencing iodized salt problems similar to Cambodia include Madagascar, Indonesia, the Philippines and Albania, Roger Moore said. On Friday, Roger Moore will meet with King Norodom Sihanouk at the Royal Palace and present him with 30 tons of iodized salt.

Read more about iodine deficiency disorders

Source: Yahoo!, The Hindustan Times & The Miami Herald