Vietnam Reports Sharp Fall in Child Malnutrition Rate

The malnutrition rate among Vietnamese children aged below five has been reduced to 26.7% at present from 33% at end-2012, said Head of the National Institute of Nutrition, Prof. Le Thi Hop. Ms. Hop released the figure at a press briefing in Hanoi on May 24 to launch 2013 Micronutrient Day in a move to improve people’s health. The children in this group often suffer from deficiencies of Vitamin A, iron and iodine, as well as several essential vitamins. Half of them lack various types of vitamins A, B1, C, D and iron in their daily diets. Many children are still either under or over weight as a result of the lack of basic vitamins. Most of them are living in the northern, central and Central Highland regions. If local children receive an adequate supply of Vitamin A, Vietnam can reduce the rate of fatalities and blindness in these kids by 23% and 70%, respectively, Ms. Hop added. In an effort to improve the physical and mental well-being of the population, the government has approved a national nutrition strategy aimed at reducing child malnutrition in the 2011-2020 period. The strategy aims to lower the rate of malnutrition among children under five to less than 10% by 2015 and 8% by 2020. (vov.vn May 25)