Health ministry announces complementary feeding guide for Vietnamese children

Signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Agreement between the National Institute of Nutrition and Asahi Group Foods on Saturday in Hà Nội.— Photo courtesy of JICA Việt Nam Office

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has officially announced plans to compile a Vietnamese version of a Japanese complementary feeding practice guide at the 'Japan - Việt Nam workshop on improving complementary feeding practices in the first 1,000 days of life for Vietnamese children', which took place in Hà Nội on Saturday.

The ministry also intends to collaborate with businesses, Government agencies and educational institutions from both Việt Nam and Japan to implement and disseminate the guide.

Complementary feeding is when children receive foods to complement breast milk or infant formula, usually starting at around six months of age.

The workshop was co-organised by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the National Institute of Nutrition in Việt Nam and other relevant agencies.

It is part of the 'Commercialisation verification project for improving maternal and child health in the first 1,000 days of life in Việt Nam', proposed by Asahi Group Foods to JICA, with the aim of addressing socio-economic challenges faced by developing countries.

The project is one of several under the Support Programme for Small and Medium Enterprises targeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Participants at the workshop said beyond theories on what and how much children should eat, it was essential to promote practical methods of feeding that align with the development of a child's eating abilities.

Developing a practical guidebook of this nature would help address the concerns of Vietnamese parents about complementary feeding, contributing to the healthy growth of children.

More than 120 delegates attended the workshop.

At the event, representatives from the Việt Nam Vaccine Joint Stock Company, Nutrihome Nutrition Centre, and AEON Vietnam presented joint research findings on the current state of complementary feeding and the potential acceptance of Japanese-style complementary feeding products in the Vietnamese market.

Based on these findings, Asahi Group Foods signed a cooperation agreement with the National Institute of Nutrition in Việt Nam to support the compilation of the guide.

The company also partnered with VNVC and Nutrihome to promote rational complementary feeding practices and distribute complementary food products.

The sharing of knowledge about appropriate dietary practices, nutrition, breastfeeding and complementary feeding from Japan was discussed between the two nations.

The initiative to expand access to this information at healthcare facilities and among families in a more accessible way is expected to improve the health of pregnant and breastfeeding women, support proper complementary feeding and ultimately foster the healthy development of infants and young children in Việt Nam.

JICA will continue to support activities related to maternal and child healthcare and nutrition. — VNS