Parents and guardians are responsible for making sure their children grow up strong, but at present many don't pay enough attention to their children's health.
Parents should increase the amount of attention paid to children's height and health (Photo:tuoitre)
Parents and guardians are responsible for making sure their children grow up strong, but at present many don't pay enough attention to their children's health, said Tran Huong Duong, Deputy Director of the Family Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Duong spoke at an August 14 conference in Hanoi on increasing the amount of attention paid to children’s height and health from 2015 to 2030.
"With industrialisation and urbanisation, parents spend less and less time on their children," he said.
Low-income households lacking the money to feed their children properly could also account for the widespread malnutrition and other health problems. In 2013, one in every four children under five suffered from malnutrition, which can affect later development.
The ministry's latest survey on Vietnamese families showed that 25 percent of fathers and 7 percent of mothers did not pay attention to their children because they were busy with work.
Some parents have left their hometowns to seek jobs in bigger cities, leaving their children with others and not keeping tabs on their development, Duong said.
Vietnamese people are shorter on average than those in other Southeast Asian countries, and that can be a sign of health issues, he said. Vietnamese men are 1.64m tall on average, while Thai and Malaysian men are 1.67m and 1.68m, respectively. Vietnamese women are 1.53cm on average, whereas Indonesian and Thai women are 1.55m and 1.57m.
"Factors that affect height include genes, nutrition, exercise and living conditions. The three last factors are closely connected to how parents care for their kids," Duong said.
The Government should educate parents and guardians on the role family plays in making sure children grow up healthy, he said, adding that the education should focus on social skills, nutrition and physical activity, with help from concerned ministries and organisations.
Nguyen Trong An, Deputy Director of the Research and Training Centre for Community Development and former Deputy Director of the Department of Protection and Care of Children under the Ministry of Health, said the most care should be taken during the children's first three years.
Good care and nutrition in the first three years would help reduce child fatalities and economic burdens related to congenital malformation. It would also improve the children's lifelong health and the national economy, An said.-VNA
More than 190 children between 10 to 16 years-old from 30 cities and provinces nationwide gathered in Hanoi on August 6 for the fourth National Children’s Forum.
About 2.1 million or 24.9 percent of the Vietnamese children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition, according to statistics from the National Nutrition Institute.
Vietnam has reaped remarkable achievements in caring for children, according a recently released report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
More than 400 children between the ages of 6 and 15 in the island district of Bach Long Vy in the port city of Hai Phong received free health examinations on June 22.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the agency’s centre for digital contents and communications (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is intensifying efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as part of the country’s goal of having the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning lifted.
Throughout its 80-year history, the VNA has remained at the forefront of information dissemination. It has consistently delivered timely, accurate, and objective reports on both domestic and international events, serving the Party’s leadership, the State’s management, and the public’s demand for official news.
With strong support from local authorities, businesses, organisations, and residents, the province has successfully built or repaired 10,707 homes for disadvantaged households, including war veterans, families of martyrs, ethnic minority people, and low-income residents.
Throughout its resistance against colonialists and imperialists, Vietnam developed a revolutionary press that has served as a benchmark for just and legitimate causes worldwide.
Founded in 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic is regarded as a cultural ambassador of Austria, with prestigious conductors like Mahler and Karajan who shape its legacy. Its New Year’s Concert, broadcast to over 90 countries annually, stands as a global symbol of classical music excellence.
PM Chinh lauded the press’s historic role in the nation’s fight for independence and its ongoing process of national development, affirming that the Government always highly appreciates the close partnership and steadfast support of press agencies and journalists nationwide.
In recent decades, Vietnam’s mainstream media has become a reliable and persuasive channel for showcasing the nation’s development policies and achievements, especially in economic matters, according to a senior assistant editor at the Times of India.
A hub for sharing best practices, the event aims to forge solutions for financial sustainability, public media contracts, audience engagement, content innovation, and newsroom restructuring. It is also a moment for Vietnam’s media to accelerate its progress and figure out what the “revolutionary press” means in a new era.
From “Thanh nien”, Vietnam’s first revolutionary newspaper founded by Nguyen Ai Quoc (later President Ho Chi Minh) on June 21, 1925, the revolutionary press has remained devoted to its sacred missions -accompanying the nation, serving the Fatherland, and working for the people.
The official launch of Emirates’ Dubai–Da Nang route on June 2 has sparked a “tourism revolution” for Vietnam’s central coastal city. Da Nang is emerging as a top destination for high-end travelers, particularly from the lucrative Middle Eastern market.
Bernama CEO Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin said VNA has been a consistent and reliable partner in OANA, contributing actively to the regional media landscape through content sharing, coordination, and policy discussions. Their coverage of ASEAN and Indochina issues adds valuable perspectives. Bernama appreciates the collaboration with VNA.
In this era of global integration and digitalisation, the press must adopt modern multimedia models to not only meet increasing information and communication demands but also align with the broader socio-economic development of the country.
A master plan on implementation of recommendations accepted by Vietnam under the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) took effect on June 17.
Running until June 21, the festival brings together more than 80 central and local media organisations, featuring nearly 130 exhibition booths that cover the full spectrum of national life, encompassing economy, politics, culture, society, defence, security, and foreign affairs.
Parents should increase the amount of attention paid to children's height and health (Photo:tuoitre)
