Vietnam ranks fourth in Southeast Asia in average height
Vietnamese are the fourth tallest people in Southeast Asia, only after Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, thanks to improvements in maternal and child nutrition, heard a workshop held by the Ministry of Health in Hanoi on July 28.
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese are the fourth tallestpeople in Southeast Asia, only after Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, thanksto improvements in maternal and child nutrition, heard a workshop held by the Ministry of Health in Hanoi onJuly 28.
Dr. Tran Dang Khoa, Deputy Director of theministry’s Department of Maternal and Child Health, said the average height forwomen and men rose by 3.3 and 5.8 centimeters during the 2000-2020 period toreach 155.6 centimeters and 168.1 centimeters, respectively.
Vietnamese are still getting taller over the pasttwo decades but not as fast as others in Asia, he noted.
According to the official, maternal and child healthcare in Vietnam has seen many positive changes, but there remains a disparitybetween regions and among ethnic groups.
He noted that the rate of pregnant women receivingantenatal care at least four times during pregnancy surpassed 80%. The rate of womengiving birth supported by medical staff stood at 95 - 97%, and around 80%receive postpartum care in the first week.
However, the maternal mortality rate in the Mongethnic group is 7-8 times higher than that of theỉr Kinh and Tay sisters,and the mortality rate of infants aged under 1 in rural areas is twice as highas in urban areas.
In addition, neonatal mortality is still high,accounting for 70-80% of deaths among under-1-year-old infants.
The rate of stunting among ethnic minority children(31.4%) is two times higher than that of children of the Kinh ethnic group(15%).
Explaining reasons for these problems, Khoa saidthat the first is the lack of human resources, especially specialists inobstetrics, paediatrics, anesthesiology and resuscitation.
The second is the lack of medical facilities andequipment, he stated, adding that in disadvantaged areas, the capacity ofmedical staff in obstetric and neonatal emergencies, in stages such asscreening, diagnosis, and prognosis and treatment, is limited./.
The average height of Vietnamese youths has shown remarkable improvements, reaching 168.1cm for 18-year-old males in 2020, up 3.7 cm from 2020, and 156.2cm for 18-year-old females, up from 154.8cm, according to the National General Nutrition Survey for 2019-2020, which was released by the Health Ministry’s National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) on April 15.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been working closely with relevant ministries and sectors to identify the most effective strategies to assist Vietnam in creating a safe and happy environment for mothers and children, including those in ethnic minority and disadvantaged areas.
"Vietnam is facing a triple burden of nutrition, including stunting, overweight, obesity and micronutrient deficiency,” Rana Flowers, UNICEF and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN representative in Vietnam, told a conference held in Hanoi on April 15 for the release of the main findings of the National General Nutrition Survey for 2019 – 2020.
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In an document issued on August 5, the PM emphasised the need to stablise living conditions for people hit by floods, landslides, and flash floods in late July and early August in northern and north-central provinces, especially Dien Bien, Son La, and Nghe An which suffered some of the worst damage.
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Illustrative image (Source: VNA) 
