Child malnutrition rate falls considerably in Dong Nai

(ĐN)- This comment was made by Dong Nai province’s Health Department during a conference to discuss the implementation of a national nutrition strategy for period 2007- 2010 held at Thong Nhat General Hospital in Dong Nai on July 12.

(ĐN)- This comment was made by Dong Nai province’s Health Department during a conference to discuss the implementation of a national nutrition strategy for period 2007- 2010 held at Thong Nhat General Hospital in Dong Nai on July 12. Present at the conference were Professor Le Thi Hop, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) and representatives from provincial relevant agencies, hospitals and medical stations throughout the province.

Doctor Nguyen Van Huynh, Head of Nutrition Ward inThong Nhat General Hospital introduces new model to address nutrition at the conference

According to a report from the provincial health department, the child malnutrition rate in Dong Nai fell from 26.6% in 2001 to 16.5% in 2006. The province has gained achievements in terms of mother and child health care as well as implemented programmes to spread knowledge on goitre prevention and encourage local people in using iodised salt in food processing as well as raise public awareness on food safety and hygiene. As a result, the percentage of households in the province using iodised salt was 87.8%. From now until 2010, the province will take appropriate and effective measures to improve mother and child nutrition as well as intensify dissemination of information on nutrition in order to protect people from overweight, obesity, and other diseases related to nutrition. Dong Nai targets to reduce the malnutrition rate of under-5-year-old children to 15% by 2010.

Reported by N.P