Nutrition consultancy week targets community health

Hanoi (VNA) - The nutrition consultancy week for community health will be held in Hanoi , Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City for a week from Nov. 22 by the National Institution of Nutrition (NIN).

The event aims to provide nutrition and malnutrition prevention
information to the community, especially on diets for children and pregnant
women; raise awareness and carry out public awareness, education programmes
on good nutrition practices; and develop voluntary groups for nutrition
consultancy in local areas.

In Vietnam , 33.9 percent of children under five are malnourished. The
diet of Vietnamese children achieves 30-50 percent of daily nutrition
demands, which has a great impact on the health of Vietnam 's youngest
generations.

Additionally, the lack of nutritional knowledge among pregnant women
worsened this situation, said Deputy Director of NIN Nguyen Thi Lam.

The nutrition week will start in Hanoi on Nov. 22, in Da Nang on Nov.
25 and finish on Nov. 29 in HCM City . It is estimated that up to 7,500
people, mostly women and youth, will be provided with nutrition consultancy
each day through this, the biggest campaign on nutrition the nation has ever
seen.

The event organizer expects to provide information to at least 60 percent
of the population in the three cities, 50 percent of whom will hopefully
change their dietary habits based on the newly-found basic awareness on the
importance of nutrition. The nationwide target for nutrition information
dissemination is 15 percent of the country's population.

More information is available at www:thongtindinhduong.vn which will be
launched in conjunction with the nutrition week.
The site is aimed at providing the latest information on health and
nutrition, online consultancy, a nutrition library and a forum for nutrition
information exchange for the whole community.-Enditem