Nutrition and food security for women and children were the highlights of a workshop held in Hanoi on October 5.
Under a project funded by the Spanish Government, the food security component will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the nutrition focus will be carried out by the Ministry of Health.
The workshop presented the initiative’s blueprint as well as guidance on performing tasks and reporting, among others.
According to Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long, the project aims to reduce the rate of malnutrition among children under the age of five while ensuring food supply for domestic households as part of national master plans on these issues through 2020.
If conducted effectively, the scheme will benefit pregnant women, women of childbearing age and children under five years old.
Apart from central agencies, such as the Department of Maternal and Child Health and the Vietnam Food Safety Association, funding will be also allocated to Ninh Thuan and Lao Cai provinces for 2015 – 2016.
As such, the two localities will focus on improving medical programmes to promote breastfeeding and nutrition supplements while carrying out suitable farming production models.-VNA