Hanoi, November 14, 2024 - The launching ceremony of cooperation in research and implementation of interventions to improve zinc deficiency in children under 5 years old, co-organized by the Institute of Nutrition (Ministry of Health) and Hunmed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, gathered more than 150 delegates, including nutrition experts, representatives from management agencies, and delegates who are businesses, agents, and distributors of Hunmed Pharmaceutical Company Limited.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thanh Duong, Director of the Institute of Nutrition, Ministry of Health, said that Vietnam is facing three nutritional burdens including malnutrition (especially stunting); overweight and obesity; and micronutrient deficiencies. According to the 2023 national survey data, although the rate of stunting in children under 5 years old is 18.2% (classified as average with public health significance according to the classification of the World Health Organization), the rate of stunting is still different between regions, of which it is still very high in the Northern Midlands and Mountains with a rate of 24.8% and the Central Highlands at 25.9%. At the same time, micronutrient deficiencies, especially zinc deficiency, are still very severe, with low serum zinc levels in women of childbearing age (44.3%), pregnant women at 63.0% and children under 5 years old at 53.3%; mountainous areas have corresponding rates of (55.2%; 78.2% and 64.9%); anemia, especially in children aged 6-24 months, accounts for a high rate nationwide at 32.1% and is still very high in mountainous areas at 45.3% (according to the General Nutrition Survey 2019-2020). To address this situation, the National Strategy on Nutrition for the 2021-2030 period and vision to 2045 was approved by the Prime Minister, with the goals of improving the nutritional status of the people, in which children under 5 years old receive special attention. One of the basic targets of the Strategy is to reduce the rate of stunting in children under 5 years old to below 15% by 2030; improve the rate of serum zinc deficiency in children 6-59 months old to below 50% (mountainous areas to below 60%) by 2025 and below 40% (mountainous areas to below 50%) by 2030.

In the context of Vietnam's rapid economic development, people's income and living standards are increasingly improved, people's concerns about health are increasing, care and nutrition of young children are increasingly focused, in which intervention to improve micronutrient deficiencies (especially zinc deficiency) is very necessary. Therefore, implementing solutions to strengthen cooperation with businesses to mobilize resources, socialize nutritional intervention activities, take advantage of each party's strengths to propose solutions to solve the nutritional problem that Vietnam is facing, which is zinc deficiency in children under 5 years old, has been proposed. With the desire to contribute to reducing the rate of zinc deficiency in children in some provinces/cities in Vietnam, Hunmed Pharmaceutical Company Limited has accompanied the Institute of Nutrition in the Campaign towards "Vietnam has enough zinc" with the participation of the Biolizin brand. Accordingly, the activities implemented in the campaign include the activities of "Cooperation in research and implementation of interventions to improve zinc deficiency in children under 5 years old". Within the framework of this campaign, scientific research activities, health education communication, training, and nutritional interventions on the topic of zinc deficiency prevention for children will be jointly implemented by the two sides. Specifically, after the launching ceremony, the two sides will implement activities to strengthen nutrition education communication for people about the alarming situation of zinc deficiency in Vietnam, especially in women of childbearing age and in children under 5 years old; disseminate information and knowledge about the role of zinc in health, recommended zinc requirements for children; provide guidance on appropriate nutritional diets for target groups, combined with zinc deficiency treatment for children. In the coming time, Hunmed Pharmaceutical Company Limited will support zinc supplementation intervention for 1,000 children in 05 provinces with high rates of malnutrition and stunting: Lao Cai, Cao Bang, Yen Bai, Thanh Hoa, Quang Nam.

Institute of Nutrition, Hunmed Pharmaceutical Company Limited sincerely thanks and hopes to receive cooperation and propaganda from press and media agencies.

Media contact:

Representative of the organizing unit:

*Dr. Nguyen Song Tu, Head of General Planning Department, Institute of Nutrition

Phone: 0912322602 Email: nguyensongtu.ninvn@gmail.com

Representative of accompanying unit:

* Ms. Doan Thi Thu Trang, Micronutrient Brand Manager, Hunmed Pharmaceutical Company

Phone: 0984257156 Email: trangdoan@hunmed.vn

Some pictures at the Launch Ceremony