'Enough' nutrition initiative launched in Hà Nội

An overview of the 'Enough' nutrition initiative launch ceremony. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

HÀ NỘI — 'Enough' – a nutrition initiative was launched on Monday in Hà Nội with the vision of a world where every child enjoys enough nourishing food to be able to thrive.

The project was kicked off by the World Vision International in Việt Nam and the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).

The event also honours the World Breastfeeding Week, which is observed every year from August 1 to August 7.

With the theme 'Close the gap – Breastfeeding support for all', this year's breastfeeding week focuses on a chain of breastfeeding support to reduce inequality in access to maternal and child health care services.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Nguyễn Tri Thức, Deputy Minister of Health, said: "The Ministry of Health expects departments and organisations nationwide to prioritise and allocate funds wisely in carrying out essential nutrition actions, especially targeting children in mountainous areas and ethnic minorities.

“We consider the 'Enough' nutrition initiative an excellent example of mutual efforts in building a world where every child has access to enough nutritious food to thrive, is protected from diseases and has improved stature, physical strength and intelligence."

Việt Nam has significantly reduced child stunted growth prevalence from 29.3 per cent in 2010, to 19.6 per cent in ten years.

However, the country still faces a double nutritional burden. Children who live in mountainous or ethnic minority areas have a high rate of stunted malnutrition. The rates in the Central Highlands and northern midland are 29.8 per cent and 27.1 per cent, respectively, according to statistics from NIN.

Simultaneously, there is a rise in micronutrient deficiencies in children in various parts of the nation, as well as overweight and obesity in children under five in both urban and rural areas.

Furthermore, the climate emergency is severely impacting household food security, creating another barrier to improving children's nutrition.

In the light of this, the 'Enough' nutrition initiative targets child wellness, especially for vulnerable children.

This initiative unites the community, agencies, enterprises and donors to ensure sustainable community wellbeing.

Doseba Tua Sinay, National Director of World Vision International in Việt Nam, said: "The initiative is one of our efforts to fulfill our promise to healthcare and more broadly, to ensure sustained child wellbeing.

“We strongly believe that, with our joint efforts, we can strive to end all types of malnutrition in Vietnamese children and create positive changes for children, so that every child enjoys life in all its fullness,” he said.

The primary goal of the project is to improve and enhance the source of nutritious and healthy food for children through households livelihood enrichment activities and increase nutrition care practices for child-care providers through communications and community consultation activities.

There will also be forums to share good practices, lessons learned, evidence and recommendations for promoting the implementation of the Government's policies on nutrition and nutrition sensitivity, mobilising stakeholders' participation and resource contribution in addressing the initiative's priority areas.

These actions will be integrated into the 25 area programmes' activities in cities and provinces across the country where World Vision operates, including Điện Biên, Hải Phòng, Thanh Hóa, Quảng Trị, Đà Nẵng, Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi, Đắk Nông and HCM City.

A Phủ, 14, said that in his hometown, there were still plenty of children malnourished cases due to mothers giving birth at a young age, poor health and lack of knowledge about child care.

He hoped: "There will be more communication activities for parents and children on nutrition importance and how to prepare safe, nutritious meals and the consequences of early marriage.”

Thanh Phương, 17, from Quảng Trị central province, raised the issue of fast food which is of unknown origin and unhygienic, and made a lot of sales near schools, which may harm students' health.

Contributing opinions at the conference, Associate Professor Trần Thanh Dương, Director of the NIN, called for cooperation from all parties: “Towards a bright future for Vietnamese children.” — VNS