Malnutrition rife among Vietnamese children
Radio Australia News -
Apr 5, 2012
Nearly a
third of pre-school children in Vietnam suffer from malnutrition and stunted
growth, according to a survey by the government’s nutrition agency.
The state-run Vietnam News Agency say this means more than three million
children under the age of five in the communist country of 86 million people are
malnourished, underweight or suffered from growth deficiencies.
"Malnutrition remains a problem in many of the poor, isolated rural areas of
Vietnam, particularly mountainous areas," said Deputy Health Minister Nguyen
Viet Tien.
Vietnam's mountainous areas are home to many of the country's ethnic minority
groups and suffer from high levels of poverty.
High rates of child malnutrition not only hinder the development of the children
themselves, but also affect "the potential of economic and social development in
general," in Vietnam, Tien said.
"At the same time, urban areas are facing the problem of childhood obesity. The
situation requires quick action so we don't make the same mistakes as other
middle-income countries," he added.
The study by the National Institute of Nutrition was based on research conducted
in 2009 and 2010.
Childhood obesity rates have seen a six-fold rise since 2006 and now run at up
to 15 percent in wealthier urban areas including the capital Hanoi and southern
Ho Chi Minh City, according to the survey of more than 37,000 people.