Teymur Rajabov, the world-renowned young chess champion, has been appointed UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador for Azerbaijan, Baku office of UNICEF told Trend.
In his new role, Rajabov, who became the youngest international chess grand master in the world, will advocate for the cause of the universal salt iodization in the country
Iodine deficiency is recognised as the worlds most common cause of brain damage and mental impairment in children. In childhood and adolescence, IDD include goitre, retarded physical development, impaired mental development and impaired intellectual performance. The main forms of IDD in adults are goitre, hypothyroidism and impaired mental function. To combat iodine deficiency, minute amounts of iodine must be added to the diet.
The cumulative loss of brainpower is not only a tragedy for the children. Micronutrient deficiencies, including deficiencies in vitamin A, iron and iodine, can lead to a reduction in national economic growth of as much as 5 percent, UNICEF Representative in Azerbaijan, Hanaa Singer.
We are very pleased to have Teymur join us in the work to improve the lives of children and young people in Azerbaijan. I am confident that he will become an outspoken and active advocate, using his talent and time to serve as an example and inspiration to young people, she said.
UNICEF Ambassadors are well-known personalities with strong national appeal willing to do their utmost to mobilize support for children among the general public and within their industry. Teymur joins a celebrity corps of more than 200 stars of film, music, sport, and literature who have embraced UNICEF through the years: Susan Saradon, Roger Moore, Nicole Kidman, Robbie Williams, Sarah Jessica Parker, Diana Ross, Isabella Rossellini, Phil Collins, Mia Farrow, and many others.
