Hanoi (VNA) - A campaign was launchedin the Red River Delta pr🦂ovince of Ninh Binh on May 18 in response to MicronutrientDay (June 1 and 2).

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of HealthNguyen Thanh Long said over the years, that the country and health sector inparticular have paid attention to protecting and caring for people’s health,including prevention of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency, especiallyfor women and children. Thus, the country has reaped significantachievements, as the rate of malnutrition in under-five children dropped to 13.8percent in 2016. Vietnam has erased blindness due vitamin A deficiency andpeople’s awareness about micronutrient has been improved, Long added. To tackle remaining challenges, he instructedPeople’s Committees of all provinces and centrally-run cities to effectivelyimplement campaigns providing vitamin A supplements and treatment of helminthinfection, ensuring that 98 percent of children receive the supplements duringthe campaign. Communication campaigns should also be enhancedto encourage families to join concerted efforts in preventing malnutrition and micronutrientdeficiency as well as ensuring food security, said the official. According to Director of the National Instituteof Nutrition Le Danh Tuyen, nearly 1 million under-five childrenhave seen improvements in vitamin A deficiency each year thanks to the biannualprovision of vitamin A supplements for children between 6 and 36 months oldnationwide and for those between 37 and 60 months old in 22 disadvantagedprovinces.  The provisionof vitamin A for children and post-partum mothers has become an annual activityin more than 11,000 communes across the country. This year, more than 6 million children underfive years old will receive vitamin A capsules. In addition, millions ofchildren between 24-60 months of age in disadvantaged localities will be dewormed.-VNA