A conference was held in Hanoi on January 20 by the Vietnam National Institution of Nutrition and the Ministry of Health to review the 2010 activities on health and nutrition and their further implementation in 2011.
Last year, health and nutrition activities such as providing nutritional care for pregnant women, encouraging breastfeeding, monitoring children’s nutritional state, and supplementing vitamin A, were launched in all communes and wards throughout the country.
As a result, the number of malnourished children determined by the relation between the weight and age dropped from 18.9 in 2009 to 17.5 percent in 2010 while child malnutrition determined by the relation between height and age fell from 32.9 percent in 2009 to 29.3 percent in 2010.
Despite the significant decrease in the number of malnourished children in Vietnam, the rate remains high compared to other countries in the region.
This year, nutrition activities will be focused on promoting community education, caring for pregnant women and providing Vitamin A for pregnant mothers and their children.
Preventing child malnutrition and improving their physical health should be a key national target to be carried out in localities across the country in the near future for the sake of children’s health as well as the national development.
Source: VOV