School Milk Program in Vietnam

PR85978

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Oct. 7, 2020/PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

Vietnam Dairy Product JSC ("Vinamilk"), one of Vietnam's first advocates for

the School Milk Program (SMP), marked its contribution towards the health and

well-being of 3.3 million students on this year world milk day. 14 years on and

the company remains committed to the better nutrition of Vietnamese children.

SMP is currently participated by 68 countries globally. In Vietnam, Vinamilk,

inspired by the program's vision, was the first Vietnamese dairy company that

adopted and commissioned the program's inaugural implementation in province of

Ba Ria-Vung Tau in 2007.

Since 2016, endorsed by the Vietnamese government's official approval, the

program has scaled up nationwide. In turn, Vinamilk expanded its wholehearted

participation in the project, extending its contribution to 23 cities and provinces.

Photo- https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20201007/2942447-1-a   

With effective coordination throughout the implementation process, the number

of children registered to drink milk at school continues to exceed

expectations. Hanoi, in particular, has enabled more than 1 million students

aged 3-10 years old participating in the program, marking of 91% penetration

rate after 2 years of implementation. Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Bac Ninh provinces,

the first two provinces participated in the program, have reached optimal rates

of 100% and 99.3% respectively.

With educational activities, Vinamilk wishes to work towards building better

awareness among students and parents on proper nutritional practices and

environmental protection.

"Pioneering the implementation of SMP in Vietnam, Vinamilk always recognizes

this program as one of our top priorities. We have been collaborating with

government agencies to actively promote SMP across Vietnam. This is a highly

valued program that will benefit Vietnamese children nutritionally, and provide

them with the solid foundation for their long-term physical and intellectual

development," said Ms. Mai Kieu Lien -- Vinamilk's CEO.

Photo- https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20201007/2942447-1-b 

Over the years, SMP has considerably contributed to the physical improvement of

kindergarten and primary school students in Vietnam. In Bac Ninh province, the

rate of stunting has decreased from 26.9% in 2013 to 23.6% in 2020. More

impressively, the malnutrition rate in Ba Ria-Vung Tau has dropped from 28.40%

in 2007 to 18.90% this year.

Reported by Unicef [https://www.unicef.org/media/68291/file/Mitigating-the-Effects-of-the-COVID-19-Pandemic-on-Food-and-Nutrition-of-school-children.pdf ],

more than 350 million children might not have access to regular school feeding

and nutrition services during the pandemic. In Vietnam, COVID-19 has made

negative impact on 31.8 million workers that can further effect on nutrition

care for schoolchildren.

Photo-https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20201007/2942447-1-c

Vinamilk has been actively working with the Vietnamese government and municipal

authorities to reduce the cost of milk consumption in SMP, working towards the

ultimate goal of ensuring Vietnamese children's health and nutrition. This

practice has leverage SMP benefit in the critical time.

Over 160 million children worldwide currently receive milk at schools, with

dairy's well-known natural nutrient-richness providing an abundant supply of

high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus,

potassium, iodine, and vitamins B2 and B12 -International Dairy Federation

press release [https://www.fil-idf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/press-release-school-milk-1.pdf ]

for World School Milk Day 2020.

Contact:

Ms. Le Thanh Lan Anh

+84-28-54-155-555

ltlanh@vinamilk.com.vn

SOURCE Vinamilk

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