The report "Persistent malnutrition in ethnic minority communities in Vietnam: Problems and intervention solutions" by the World Bank (WB) and the National Institute of Nutrition on December 10 recently showed that 1 in 3 ethnic minority children is stunted and 1 in 5 children is underweight.

The rate of malnutrition among ethnic minority children remains high.

The report of the Ethnic Committee for Statistics from localities in 2019 shows that the rate of malnourished ethnic minority children is still high compared to the classification of the World Health Organization and there is a large difference between regions. In particular, the rate of malnourished children under 5 years old in the ethnic minority group is very small and still high and unevenly distributed among regions in the country, mainly concentrated in the 3 regions of the Central Highlands, North Central and Northern mountainous areas. This rate in Chut children is 40%, Si La: 21.7%; Bo Y: 35%; La Ha: 20%, Brau, Ro Mam: 29.87%; O-du: 12%; Lo Lo: 16.91%. 

Mr. Le Danh Tuyen, Director of the National Institute of Nutrition, said that the first 1,000 days of life, from when the mother becomes pregnant until the child turns 2 years old, is the golden time that determines the optimal physical and mental development of the child. If the child is not provided with enough nutrients during this period, it will lead to serious, irreparable damage to the physical and mental development.

Due to living conditions dependent on nature, difficult economic life, low level of education causing obstacles to health care, medical examination, childbirth of women along with the cause of poverty, early marriage, consanguineous marriage are contributing to increasing the rate of malnutrition in the womb of children. This situation also leads to many consequences such as: premature birth, underdeveloped fetus, malnutrition, weak physical condition, disease, high mortality rate, and deterioration of the quality of the race.

 In addition, outdated concepts about pregnancy, childbirth, home birth practices, etc. hinder access to medical services and advanced science and technology for maternal and newborn health care. 

Accordingly, the World Bank and the National Institute of Nutrition have proposed a number of solutions to improve nutritional indicators for ethnic minority children, such as: Building a more effective coordination mechanism on nutrition issues, with the direction of the Government and an effective coordination mechanism of relevant agencies. Ensuring finance for nutrition work, including ensuring adequate budgets for interventions that have been proven effective. For provinces with the most severe malnutrition, priority should be given to allocating and receiving public budgets to implement nutrition interventions. 

The World Bank and the National Institute of Nutrition also believe that it is necessary to include the goal of addressing malnutrition in the National Target Program, as a priority and with appropriate budget allocation. Increase ethnic minority groups' access to comprehensive health care packages for adolescents, pregnant women and children. Increase ethnic minority people's access to clean water and environmental sanitation services. 

Encourage and apply preferential policies for ethnic minority girls to participate in and complete the upper secondary school program. Expand financial assistance programs focusing on poor ethnic minority households with pregnant women, infants and young children in the first 1,000 days of development...