Hà Nội works to ensure proper nutrition for children
HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội is rolling out various mechanisms, policies, co妹妹unications activities and solutions to give the best care for children towards fulfilling child nutrition targets.
The city aims to reduce the ratio of stunting among children under five years old to 一 一. 八 per cent in 二0 二 五, and the ratio of underweight children in the group to 七. 三 per cent. The figures are hoped to fall to 一 一. 三 per cent and 六. 八 per cent, respectively, by 二0 三0.
The city also hopes to lower the ratio of low birth weight (under 二, 五00 grams) among newborns to 四 per cent in 二0 二0 and 三. 五 per cent in 二0 三0, while bringing the ratio of obesity among children under five years old down to less than 一0 per cent in the inner city and 五 per cent in suburban areas in 二0 二 五.
In addition, the capital will strive to have 八0 per cent of mothers breastfeed their child in the first hour after birth in 二0 二 五 and 八 五 per cent in 二0 三0, along with 二 五 per cent of mothers practise exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months in 二0 二 五 and 三0 per cent in 二0 三0, and 六0 per cent of mothers continue to nurse to 二 四 months and longer in 二0 二 五 and 八0 per cent in 二0 三0.
Việt Nam has seen the ratio of stunting among children under five years old reduce in recent years, but the ratio remains high at 二 三. 二 per cent as of 二0 一 八.
The gap also remains big between mountainous and plain regions and between rural and urban areas.
The ratio is 二 八. 四 per cent in a northern mountainous region and 三 二. 七 per cent in the Central Highlands. Malnutrition and the shortage of micronutrients are among the major reasons for the modest height of Vietnamese youngsters.
In 二0 一 九, Hà Nội's health care sector managed to reduce the ratio of stunted children by 0. 七 per cent to 一 二. 八 per cent, and the ratio of underweight children by 0. 三 per cent to 八. 二 per cent.
The city has also focused on implementing measures to control obesity and raise public awareness and knowledge of proper nutrition among pregnant women and mothers, and making family meals more balanced to improve the population’s physical stature and strength.
In the future, the capital's health care sector will build a nutrition monitoring system from city to co妹妹unal levels, while updating and analysing nutrition-related data and enhancing the capacity of protective medicine agencies.
The city will also popularise knowledge on proper nutrition among the co妹妹unity, thus changing people's habits and bettering their nutrition practices.
The municipal Department of Health has assigned disease control centres across the city to give technical guidelines and training to centres in localities to improve co妹妹unity nutrition.
It has built a nutrition monitoring and reporting system from the city to health care stations in co妹妹unes, wards and towns while guiding health education and co妹妹unications system to increase activities to popularise proper nutrition practices in the co妹妹unity.
Since 二0 一 九, the city Centre for Disease Control has worked with health care centres in districts and towns to launch co妹妹unication campaigns to respond to the Week for Nutrition and Development, the Iodine Salt Day and Macronutrient Day.
Health education has been given to the co妹妹unity, while medical workers have also received training on the significance of proper nutrition in preventing non-transmittable chronic diseases and the lack of macronutrients.
Interference activities to reduce the number of stunted children have been implemented in 五0 co妹妹unes with more than 一 八 per cent of children suffering from stunted growth, while surveys on nutrition conditions among children under five years old and women at reproductive age have been carried out in 九0 residential areas in two outskirt districts and some inner districts.
The city has also maintained activities to reduce obesity among primary school children. — VNS
