A school milk proramme was jointly launched in Hanoi on October 9. (Source: doisongphapluat.com)A school milk proramme was jointly launched in Hanoi on October 9 by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the TH Group.
Addressing the event, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien hailed the programme significance in improving and enhancing Vietnamese children’s stature and intelligence, saying that it is expected to reduce malnutrition among Vietnamese children, particularly those in rural and mountainous areas.
She also affirmed that the Party and State always care for the spiritual and material life of children, the future masters of the country.
TH Chairwoman Thai Huong proposed necessary support mechanisms to mobilise community engagement in the programme.
The TH Group has piloted the school milk programme in the central province of Nghe An, which aims to provide 428,306 children at kindergarten and primary schools in 21districts and towns with a pack of milk each school day during the 2015-2016 academic year.
According to UNICEF, one-third of Vietnamese children under the age of five are stunted as a result of malnutrition. But the country is making progress, currently leading the way in lowering rates of malnutrition.
Data from the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDG) initiative shows that the rate of child malnutrition in Vietnam is declining by 1.5 percent every year. From 44 percent in 1994, the rate has dropped to under 20 percent at present.-VNA
