The ministries of Health; Education and Training September 4 launched a program for the growth of height of Vietnamese youths in Hanoi.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said that the country is facing the highest rates of stunted growth because of malnutrition and the childhood obesity.

Minister said children in remote and mountainous districts are malnourished while their peers in major cities are obese, pointing out that a nutrition study shows that Vietnamese youths are shorter than the World Health Organization’s standard and their peers in the Southeast Asia.

This will affect the country’s future human resource.

Accordingly, the program aims to raise Vietnamese youths’ height.

The program is paving the way for the effective implementation of program Glasses of Milk in Schools that is waiting for approval by the prime minister and is part of the project for raising Vietnamese youths' stature in the period 2011-2030 approved by the Prime Minister in April, 2014 Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam pointed out that height of the Vietnamese people has improved, but too slowly, Vietnamese people are now shorter than others in the world, and even in Asia region. Low height and poor health affect the quality of our labor force and the advancement of our people.

Accordingly, the program for the growth of height of VN youths sponsored by TH True Milk is practical and a contributor factor to improve Vietnamese people’s stature.

At the ceremony, Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee President Nguyen Thien Nhan gave one million glasses of milk to representatives to children in island and disadvantaged districts throughout the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee President Nguyen Thien Nhan, Health Minster Nguyen Thi Kim Tien and representatives from departments and agencies and preschool students attended the ceremony.

SGGP/VNN