Last updated: 15:52 - May 3, 2006
Vietnam on track to meet target of reducing child malnutrition http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/life/030506/life_vietnam.htm
Vietnam ranks third in the East Asia and Pacific region after Malaysia and China in the average annual rate of reduction. This impressive rate of improvement resulted in a sharp reduction in malnutrition rate among children under five from 51.5% in 1985 to 25.2% in 2005, says Hanoi-based UNICEF in its press release on May 2, 2006, says Hanoi-based UNICEF in its Press release on May 2, 2006.
However, according to UNICEF's Progress for Children: Report Card on Nutrition published on May 2, Vietnam's child malnutrition rate is still quite high in the region (China: 8%, Malaysia: 11%, Mongolia: 13%). Disparities exist between the regions and provinces in Vietnam. For example, Dak Nong reports 35% of children under the age of five are underweight, three times higher than the number from Ho Chi Minh City (10%). In Vietnam, UNICEF said micro-nutrient deficiencies are emerging issues.
Around 12.5% of children under 5 years of age are vitamin A deficiency, 32% of pregnant women are suffering from anaemia, and 53.8% of lactating mothers have low ration of vitamin A in breast milk. Breastfeeding, the most powerful tool to ensure a child thrives through infancy, is a common practice but exclusive breastfeeding for first six months of life is rare (12.4%).
Although 89% children from 6-36 months of age were provided with high dose Vitamin A capsules twice a year, it is a challenge to ensure that the most disadvantaged women and children continue to have access to this service. Major achievements have been made towards Universal Salt Iodisation with 83% of households consume iodised salt (ranked second in the region behind China), but the sustainability of those achievements has not yet been ensured.
In Vietnam, UNICEF has been working closely with the government to improve the nutrition status of Vietnamese children and women. In the coming years, UNICEF will continue to support the Vietnamese government in its advocacy and social mobilisation activities to keep nutrition issues high on the national and local agenda; development and implementation of policies and legislations on nutrition which help to create and maintain a supportive nutrient environment for mothers and their children; provision of high dose Vitamin A capsules to all children from 6-36 months of age; promotion of the use of iodized salt; development of new initiative like supplementation of multiple micro-nutrient to pre-pregnant and pregnant women in the disadvantage area.
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