Vietnam National Assembly hold the conference “Role of National Assembly in Ensure Children Right and Nutrition Issue for Children Development” on April 2nd 2015. The conference happened with the presents of IPU members, Foreign Commission, Culture and Education commission of National Assembly, leaders of Vietnam ministries, UNICEF and many local and international organizations in children care and protection.
At the conference, RTCCD/EBHPD representative, MSc. Dr. Nguyen Trong An, specialist on children protection and care, had his presentation about Children Nutrition Care Right. The presentation showed that the rate of nutritional deficiency in children remained high, while the rate of children with overweight and obesity increased quickly. Therefore, there was an inconsistent in nutrition care for children in Vietnam depend on groups, and geographic region.
Dr. An also affirmed that Vietnamese children will be well developed, not inferior to children in Western countries, if we focus on first 1,000 days care. This is golden period for every child, if children are well nurtured and cared, they will grow up healthy and less sickness. Their thinking, intellectual, emotional and social skills development will be stable and consistent with the development of society.
From the above reasons, RTCCD/EBHPD proposed that the conference should raise their opinion to support for advocacy in Children Protection, Care and Education Rights reformed in 2015, and to ensure that every child must be born with the right for comprehensive care in the first 1000 days. All children In Vietnam must be ensured the rights to have sufficient, and healthy foods and right to nutritional care support.
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The government must provide support policies to ensure children right for food access including salt, sugar and fat control in children foods, food fortification, childcare and raring. These policies must be carried out with the participation and determination from government agencies, authorities in all levels from national to local.
RTCCD/EBHPD’s proposal on Children right about comprehensive care, especially the nutrition care in the first 1000 days was stated in “Hanoi Declaration” after the conference with the agreement and action commitment of all delegates.