The visible benefits of the school milk program.

"There is no joy that can compare."

The most important task of preschools is to nurture and educate children, an age group that society pays special attention to in terms of nutrition to ensure healthy and strong growth for these young children. Therefore, how to ensure children develop both physically and intellectually is a matter of particular concern not only for schools but also for the political system in each locality.

This is also why the School Health Program, when implemented in localities, always starts at the preschool level if it is not possible to implement it simultaneously at the primary school level.

The School Milk Program always begins at the preschool level to provide sufficient nutrition for healthy, strong children to grow up with age.

Among all provinces and cities nationwide, Ba Ria - Vung Tau was the first locality to implement the School Health Program. In the 2007-2008 school year, the Provincial Department of Education and Training launched a program for malnourished children aged 3-5 in the community and in preschools.

To date, after more than 10 years of implementation, the School Health Program in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has achieved many positive results, contributing to the implementation of the National Strategy on Nutrition. Specifically, the number of preschool students attending school has increased steadily, always exceeding targets; in 2006 there were 49,961 students attending, and by 2017 this number had increased to 69,513 children. In preschools, 100% of children gained weight, increased in height, and their intellectual development was good.

In particular, the number of underweight malnourished children in Ba Ria - Vung Tau in 2006 was 25%, but by the end of 2016 it had decreased to only 4.6%; the number of stunted malnourished children in 2012 was 10.6%, but by the end of 2016 it had decreased to only 2.8%...

In Bac Ninh, after implementing the School Health Program from 2013 to 2017, the rate of underweight and stunted children improved significantly. The rate of underweight children in kindergartens decreased by 5%, from 6.6% (2013) to only 1.6% (2017). Among preschool children, the rate of underweight decreased from 4.6% to 1.6%, and stunting decreased from 4.2% to 2.8%. The average growth over the four years was 1.4-1.5 kg in weight and 2.3-2.4 cm in height.

In Dong Nai, the percentage of underweight malnourished children decreased from 6.30% (2015) to 4.60% (2016); the percentage of stunted malnourished children decreased from 7.20% (2015) to 5.20% (2016)...

A report published by the National Institute of Nutrition at the 2019 Micronutrient Day indicated that Vietnam has achieved significant progress in improving the nutritional status of its people, such as a rapid and sustainable reduction in the rate of child malnutrition (underweight malnutrition decreased from 30.1% in 2000 to 14.1% in 2015, and in 2016 the rate of underweight malnutrition in children under 5 years old was 13.8%); we have eradicated blindness caused by vitamin A deficiency; the status of serum vitamin A deficiency, iron-deficiency anemia, and deficiencies in other micronutrients is improving; and people's knowledge and practices of proper nutrition are increasingly being enhanced…

With the support of the School Milk Program, the rate of child malnutrition has decreased rapidly and sustainably.

All these encouraging results stem from the Government's sound and humane policy in deciding to implement the School Milk Program to improve nutritional status and contribute to enhancing the stature of preschool and primary school children by 2020. This is also the result of serious cooperation and a high sense of responsibility from local authorities, schools, and milk suppliers.

Seeing is believing.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuc, a teacher at Thoi Thanh Kindergarten in Thanh Phu District, Ben Tre Province, said: "The School Milk Program in Ben Tre has been implemented since 2017, starting with each student drinking 3 boxes of milk per week. Parents participating in the program only have to pay 75% of the cost of a box of milk, with the remaining 5% subsidized by Vinamilk, the milk supplier. Students from poor and near-poor households receive support from the local authorities and the company so they can benefit from the School Milk Program like other students without having to pay any fees."

Therefore, Ms. Phuc believes that initially only about 30% of parents registered their children for the program, but after a while, parents realized the program's rationality and advantages, so the number has now increased to over 80%...

With the support of the School Milk Program, the rate of child malnutrition has decreased rapidly and sustainably.

The implementation of the School Milk Program at Sai Son Kindergarten in Quoc Oai District, Hanoi, is a different story. Ms. Dao Thi Thanh Thao, the school's vice principal, said that because the school is located in the outskirts of Hanoi, it has many separate branches, and many parents still don't consider milk an essential part of their children's daily diet. However, when the School Milk Program was implemented in practice, and parents were able to monitor and see their children enthusiastically drinking milk at school, they became very trusting and excited. Ms. Thao shared:"It was available in just 2 months."near the100%parentsChildren from preschool to kindergarten at the school voluntarily register toparticipate in the programSHDI believe that,"The greatest wish of the children is for them to be healthy, well-nourished, and free from diseases caused by nutritional deficiencies. This is the greatest wish of the children's parents and us,"Ms. Thao said.

Ms. Khuc Thi Mai, Principal of Ba Trieu Kindergarten, also shared that the fact that 100% of the children at the school participate in the School Activities Program is a very impressive achievement for the school itself.Mainpractical effectivenessThe program has brought benefits to the students.and the cooperation of both family and school.withOnly by striving to bring about the best can one achieve this.Parents voluntarily registered their children to participate in the program!”, Ms. Mai said.

For the 2019-2020 school year, Hanoi continues to strengthen leadership, guidance, and coordination with relevant levels and sectors to achieve a participation rate of over 90% among students in the School Milk Program. In particular, it will intensify propaganda efforts to raise awareness of the program among independent and private preschools and kindergartens, encouraging parents to register their children to ensure their rights are not affected. Attention will also be paid to the proper handling and storage of milk at these facilities to guarantee quality.

Mr. Ngo Van Quy - Vice Chairman of the Hanoi City People's Committee

The program's humanitarian aspect also lies in the fact that students from poor and near-poor households receive school milk like other students without having to pay any fees.

Meanwhile, Mr. Pham Xuan Tien, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, affirmed:"The best way to promote this is none other than to do our best, prioritizing safety and quality, just as we have done and doing even better, so that people feel secure, trust, and voluntarily register their children to participate in the School Health Program."

Sixty countries worldwide have implemented school milk programs. In Vietnam, the program is currently being implemented in 17 provinces and cities, including Hanoi, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Bac Ninh, Binh Duong, Ha Nam, Ninh Thuan, and most recently, Ho Chi Minh City and Vinh Long will be the next two localities to implement the school milk program in the 2019-2020 school year. The increasing number of localities implementing the school milk program each year demonstrates the correctness of this highly humane program of the Government, with positive and visible results in contributing to improving the physical health and nutritional conditions of Vietnamese children.