Two-year-old Va Vi Nhong Kim holds a ready-to-use therapeutic food sachet, his daily nutrition enhancement staple. — Photo courtesy of UNICEF Thenews was revealed in a report from the National Institute for Nutrition (NIN)at a recent seminar held in Hanoi.
Theprogramme, with financial support worth 4 million USD from UNICEF and theGovernment of Japan, has fulfilled its target of improving nutrition conditionsfor 7,640 children with severe and acute malnutrition (SAM) in 6 provinces ofNinh Thuan, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Tra Vinh, Hau Giang and Ca Mau.
Thechildren were among 27,500 young kids suffering from malnutrition. In addition,39,000 pregnant and lactating women lack nutrition in the 18 provinces affectedby drought, the report said.
Theprogramme focused on areas of safe water supply, promotion of sanitation andhygiene, providing micro-nutrient supplements for the most vulnerable women andchildren.
Accordingto the institute, about 83,560 pregnant and lactating women, 62,270 children ofsix to 23 months are benefiting from the programme. They were provided multiplemicronutrients for three months and participated in various nutrition trainingcourses.
Inaddition, there was an increase in malnutrition among children atdrought-affected regions, it announced.
Specifically,the number of children under the age of five suffering severe acutemalnutrition (SAM) rose from between 1.3-1.8 percent to between 1.9-2.1 percentin 2016, it said.
Addressingthe event, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long praised the project’sachievements, saying it has not only helped improve nutrition conditions ofwomen and children but also enhanced knowledge for local health workers.
JesperMoller, deputy representative of the UNICEF in Vietnam, expressed his hope thatthe project’s initial results would help boost nutrient and health careservices for Vietnamese women and children in disaster affected areas.
Ajoint rapid assessment conducted in March last year by the Vietnamesegovernment, the UN, and non-governmental organisations estimated that in the 18most severely-affected provinces, around two million people were without accessto water and 1.1 million people were in need of food aid. More than 60,000women and children are already malnourished, and about 1.75 million people havelost their livelihoods as a result of the worsening situation.
Inthe same month, the government requested assistance from international partnersfor its relief efforts, prioritising support to ensure safe drinking water,sanitation and hygiene practices and nutritional support in drought-affectedareas and enhanced monitoring of potential disease outbreaks.
On26 April 2016, the Government of Vietnam, United Nations and partners appealedto the international community to support a 48.5 million USD jointGovernment-United Nations emergency response plan to address the El Ninodrought, affecting as many as two million people in southern and centralregions.-VNA
VNA
