by Vu Kim Chung
Malnutrition among Vietnamese children under five was recorded at 39 percent in 1998, Vietnam's English daily Vietnam News reported May 26, 1999.
Vietnam's northern central area had the highest malnutrition rate with 47 percent, Central Highlands with 42 percent while the lowest rate was recorded in the Southeastern provinces with 32 percent, according to a survey conducted by Vietnam's National Institute of Nutrition. The biggest at-risk group were 6-18 months old infants, the survey revealed.
Threats of micro malnutrition, vitamin and iodine deficiency are also high for Vietnamese children -- a problem Vietnam's National Institute of Nutrition plans to tackle especially among pregnant women and children under two. The survey also indicated that breast feeding and supplementary food practices have a vital role to play in fighting malnutrition.
However, Vietnamese researchers said they were dismayed that only 43 percent of mothers were provided with Vitamin A after a month of giving birth.
Vietnam's National Institute of Nutrition will urge local provinces to promote breast feeding and encourage supplementary food policies but warns that children shouldn't be given supplementary food at too young an age.
Yet despite the high rate of child malnourishment in Vietnam the rate of malnourished children under five dropped to 39 percent in 1998 from 51.5 percent in 1985, announced the National Institute of Nutrition at a briefing in Hanoi on May 26. A survey was conducted nationwide, focusing on malnutrition and its relation to family feeding habits, iodine deficiency, Vitamin A deficiency and the results of initial research on food which could increase the micro nutrition for children. The survey showed that the malnutrition rate (height for age) among Vietnamese children under five in 1998 was recorded at 34.4 percent compared to 59.5 percent in 1985. The iodine deficiency rate decreased quickly from 84 percent in 1993 to 43.5 percent in 1998. The country had 72 percent of total households using iodized salt.
Although Viet Nam basically eradicated vitamin A deficiency in 1994, the preclinical vitamin A deficiency rate among lactating mothers is 56 percent. Threats of micro malnutrition, vitamin A and iodine deficiency are still high for Vietnamese children.
To improve the situation, the Institute plans to cooperate with anti-malnutrition programmes especially among pregnant women and children under two. It will urge provinces to promote breast feeding and encourage supplementary food policies.