24.3 percent of under-five Vietnamese children were stunted in Vietnam in 2016 (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Communication work is oneof the major solutions to prevent malnutrition in children, especially those ofethnic minority groups, a health official said.
Truong Tuyet Mai, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nutrition underthe Health Ministry, said at a workshop in Hanoi on December 8 that communicationcampaigns can help raise public awareness of undernourishment and encourage goodpractices in child care.
The official said in 2016, 24.3 percent of under-five children were stunted inVietnam. Of note, the stunted growth rate among ethnic minority children underfive (32.1 percent) doubled that of children of Kinh (Viet), the ethnicmajority.
She attributed the imbalance to the limited access to health care services ofethnic minorities and their inadequate feeding practices in early age.
Dragana Strinic, Country Director at Save the Children International, saidVietnam has made marked progresses in reducing the malnutrition rate.
However, she said, the stunted growth rate among ethnic minority children has stillremained high, warning that stunted growth could seriously affect developmentof children.
The “For all children” campaign which was announced during the workshop is aninitiative of the Save the Children International, aiming to improve nutritionfor ethnic minority children, she said.
The campaign promotes a healthy diet and better health care during pregnancy, andbreastfeeding, Strinic added, noting that it is expected to contribute toimplementing the national nutrition strategy during 2011-2020 with a visiontowards 2030.-VNA
VNA
