24.3 percent of under-five Vietnamese children were stunted in Vietnam in 2016 (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – is one
of the major solutions to in children, especially those of
, a health official said.
Truong Tuyet Mai, Deputy Director of the under
the Health Ministry, said at a workshop in Hanoi on December 8 that communication
campaigns can help raise public awareness of undernourishment and encourage good
practices in child care.
The official said in 2016, 24.3 percent of under-five children were stunted in
Vietnam. Of note, the stunted growth rate among ethnic minority children under
five (32.1 percent) doubled that of children of Kinh (Viet), the ethnic
majority.
She attributed the imbalance to the limited access to health care services of
ethnic minorities and their inadequate feeding practices in early age.
Dragana Strinic, Country Director at Save the Children International, said
Vietnam has made marked progresses in reducing the malnutrition rate.
However, she said, the stunted growth rate among ethnic minority children has still
remained high, warning that stunted growth could seriously affect development
of children.
The “For all children” campaign which was announced during the workshop is an
initiative of the Save the Children International, aiming to improve nutrition
for ethnic minority children, she said.
The campaign promotes a healthy diet and better health care during pregnancy, and
breastfeeding, Strinic added, noting that it is expected to contribute to
implementing the national nutrition strategy during 2011-2020 with a vision
towards 2030.-VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
