Hanoi’s health sector plans to roll out specific measures to improve maternal and child nutrition in 2015, as part of its efforts to better overall maternal and child healthcare.

The sector will focus on lowering the rates of fatigue in women of child-bearing age, low birth weight, and malnutrition in children under five years old. Emphasis will also be placed on fighting stunted growth as well as obesity among children.

To accomplish these goals, the city’s reproductive healthcare centre looks to enhance its reproductive healthcare network in accordance with national standards. Training courses to enrich professional and management skills of medical staff will be arranged at all district medical establishments.

Last year, thanks to drastic measures, 584 communes and wards saw a decline in malnutrition rates. Health stations in the city are now able to provide medical exams and treatment services for children, while educating mothers and the youth on basic reproductive knowledge.

Statistics from the municipal Department of Population and Family Planning indicate Hanoi’s population at the end of 2014 was about 7.4 million people, including 661,940 under-5 children and 2.6 million women between the ages of 15 and 49. Due to its high population density, the city has met with substantial difficulties in meeting maternal and child health needs.-VNA