In order to enhance the health of women of
reproductive age and and the stature of Vietnamese people, the Ministry of
Health has launched the “Improvement of nutritional status for pregnant women
and lactating mothers” project. On 21 September 2016, the Vietnam Ministry of
Health and Abbott, the global healthcare company, signed a Memorandum of
Understanding to kick start the project.
Nutritional deficiencies in pregnant mothers
can mean increased risks for children. The nutritional status of women during
pregnancy can have significant impacts on fetal, infant and child health
status. Proper nutrition for mothers can also support breast milk production.
Micronutrient deficiencies of calcium, iron,
vitamin A and iodine, for example, can lead to poor maternal health status,
adversely affecting mothers and unborn babies. Poor maternal weight gain in
pregnancy due to inadequate diet increases the risk of premature delivery, low
birth weight and birth defects.
Malnutrition stunting the growth of
Vietnamese children under 5 years old is still at a high level. This is partly caused by nutritional deficiencies
during pregnancy and lactation. As reported by the National Institute of
Nutrition, the rate of stunting due to malnutrition in Vietnamese children was
24.6% in 2015; the rate of zinc deficiency in pregnant women was 80.3%, and
that of anemia was 32.8%. The leading cause of anemia and micronutrient
deficiencies in pregnant women is inadequate maternal nutrition.
Improve health
and stature of Vietnamese people
The National Strategy on Nutrition for 2011 -
2020 and the national vision to 2030 approved by the Prime Minister identified
that providing early nutritional intervention for women of reproductive age,
pregnant women and during the golden period of the child’s first 1.000 days --
beginning at the start of a woman’s pregnancy -- is essential to improve
physical stature.
For this reason, the Ministry and Abbott came
together on September 21 in Hanoi to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to
implement the “Improvement of nutritional status for pregnant women and
lactating mothers” project.
The project will focus on activities
including: developing national nutritional guidelines for pregnant women and
lactating mothers; enhancing nutritional knowledge for health care staff and
members of the Vietnam Women's Union through implementation of national
nutritional guidelines for pregnant women and lactating mothers; and other
similar initiatives.
National nutritional guidelines for pregnant
women and lactating mothers will be developed and applied across Vietnam. These
guidelines will be based on clinical research findings and will become the
scientific basis for health care professionals, pregnant women and lactating
mothers to practice good nutrition. This will ensure the health of mothers and
children and support breastfeeding and a strong foundation for the child's
health throughout their lives.
The Ministry and Abbott will also implement
the “Improvement of clinical nutritional quality in hospitals in Vietnam”
project to improve inpatients’ health and the efficiency of clinical treatment
in hospitals.
"These two projects will also contribute
to a faster decline of stunting due to malnutrition," Deputy Minister of
Health Nguyen Viet Tien said.
Abbott is a global health care company which
has brought new products and technologies to the world -- in nutrition,
diagnostics, medical devices and branded generic pharmaceuticals -- to create
more possibilities for people at all stages of life. Abbott has implemented
several programs to improve the quality of clinical nutrition and breastfeeding
in Vietnam.
“As a science-based healthcare company, we
are dedicated to helping people live the best and fullest life possible. The
agreements we signed with the Ministry of Health reinforces Abbott’s continued
commitment to the country – to bring practical and relevant guidelines to
healthcare professionals, enhance the community's quality of life, and improve
public healthcare in Vietnam in the long term,” said Douglas Kuo, General
Manager of Abbott Vietnam.
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