Hanoi’s health sector plans to roll out specific measures to improvematernal and child nutrition in 2015, as part of its efforts to betteroverall maternal and child healthcare.

The sector will focus onlowering the rates of fatigue in women of child-bearing age, low birthweight, and malnutrition in children under five years old. Emphasis willalso be placed on fighting stunted growth as well as obesity amongchildren.

To accomplish these goals, the city’s reproductivehealthcare centre looks to enhance its reproductive healthcare networkin accordance with national standards. Training courses to enrichprofessional and management skills of medical staff will be arranged atall district medical establishments.

Last year, thanks todrastic measures, 584 communes and wards saw a decline in malnutritionrates. Health stations in the city are now able to provide medical examsand treatment services for children, while educating mothers and theyouth on basic reproductive knowledge.

Statistics from themunicipal Department of Population and Family Planning indicate Hanoi’spopulation at the end of 2014 was about 7.4 million people, including661,940 under-5 children and 2.6 million women between the ages of 15and 49. Due to its high population density, the city has met withsubstantial difficulties in meeting maternal and child health needs.-VNA