The directive stated that Vietnam has achieved significant achievements in improving its nutritional status, with the rate of child malnutrition decreasing significantly, and people's meals are more secure in both quantity and quality. The country successfully realised the Millennium Development Goal on reducing weight-for-age child malnutrition in advance.
However, Vietnam is still facing nutritional problems as the rate of stunting remains high, accounting for 24.6% and the prevalence of overweight and obesity tends to increase rapidly, especially in urban areas, while micronutrient deficiency has not been improved.
To effectively implement the nutritional norms under Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW by the 12th Party Central Committee’s sixth session on enhancing the care for and improvement of people's health in the new situation, the PM assigned relevant ministries, agencies and localities with specific tasks.
The Ministry of Health was asked to focus on developing and disseminating recommendations on nutrition and diets suitable for each age group with local food sources and in accordance with regional preferences, as well as solving stunting, lack of micronutrients, overweight and obesity, to treat hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. The ministry is also tasked with chairing the evaluation of the implementation of the National Strategy on Nutrition for the 2011-2020 period and developing new strategies for the next phase.
The Ministry of Education and Training should strengthen the integration of appropriate behavioural change programmes and appropriate physical activity education for children into schools’ agenda, while ensuring proper nutrition in school meals and strengthening coordination with the health sector in order to monitor nutritional status and healthcare for children in schools.
The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs shall assume the prime responsibility for directing the implementation of policies for social protection beneficiaries, with special importance attached to children with special circumstances, children of ethnic minorities, and children living in border communes, mountainous areas, islands and communes with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was urged to intensify direction on the implementation of nutritional practices under the Zero Hunger Programme and guide localities in developing their production in order to ensure food security under all circumstances, in addition to ensure clean rural water supply and environmental sanitation in the national target programme on building new rural areas.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism needs to intensify the direction on integrating physical activities and ensure rational nutrition into the mass movements, sports and cultural activities in the community, while promoting communication about the benefits of physical training and sports activities along with restricting the advertisement of non-health nutrition products according to regulations.
The PM also requested the People's Committees of provinces and cities to direct the development and implementation of plans and programmes on nutrition in their localities, as well as increasing the resources that can address children’s malnutrition issues.
