Endemic goitre in lowland Burma.

The problem of endemic goitre in Burma was thought to be confined to hilly regions and therefore goitre control programme has been focussed on these areas only. However, sporadic evidences accrued that there might also be pockets of endemic goitre in low-lying areas of the country. Goitre surveys and indepth study were carried out to determine the magnitude and nature of endemic goitre in lowland Burma. The overall goitre rate was 67% and the male:female ratio was 1:1.2. The findings of the study indicate that the problem of endemic goitre is also of public health significance in the lowland areas of the country. It is recommended that effective and appropriate intervention programmes be extended to these areas.