6 principles of preventing micronutrient deficiencies

This year, the Ministry of Health is organizing the first Vitamin A Supplementation Campaign for Children starting on International Children's Day, June 1, which is also Micronutrient Day. The campaign will be held nationwide; in 22 disadvantaged mountainous provinces, each child aged 6-59 months will receive 1 dose of vitamin A; children aged 24-59 months will receive periodic deworming. In the remaining 41 provinces and cities, children aged 6-35 months will receive 1 dose of vitamin A. The source of medicine used in the campaign is donated by Vitamin Angel Organization (USA).

Foods that help supplement vitamin A

According to the Ministry of Health , to prevent micronutrient deficiency, in addition to the short-term solution of taking micronutrient supplements (such as high-dose vitamin A capsules, multi-micronutrient tablets, etc.), the medium-term solution is to use micronutrient-fortified foods, the long-term and fundamental solution is to improve the quality of meals. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen communication work, encourage people to use a variety of foods, combine many types of food for daily meals; prioritize the selection and use of foods rich in micronutrients and practice exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health.

Vitamin A plays an important role in the health and comprehensive development of children. Every year, the Ministry of Health organizes a campaign to supplement high doses of vitamin A for more than 6 million children aged 6-59 months nationwide (2 rounds each year: round 1 in June; round 2 in December). In recent times, vitamin A supplementation campaigns have helped Vietnam eliminate blindness due to vitamin A deficiency in 2000.

The Ministry of Health recommends 6 principles for preventing micronutrient deficiencies as follows:

1/ Everyone and every family should have a varied daily meal and combine many types of food; choose and use foods fortified with micronutrients.

2/ Breastfeed your baby within the first hour after birth. Breastfeed your baby exclusively for the first 6 months. Breastfeed your baby until 24 months of age or longer.

3/ Use locally available micronutrient-rich foods for your child's daily supplementary meals; add fat or cooking oil to increase the absorption of vitamin A and vitamin D.

4/ Give children vitamin A twice a year.

5/ Children aged 24 - 59 months need to take deworming medicine twice a year. Practice good food hygiene, personal hygiene, and environmental hygiene to prevent worm and parasite infections.

6/ Women of childbearing age and pregnant women need to take iron/folic acid tablets or multivitamin tablets as directed.

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