Vinamilk and Tetra Pak launch school milk program for the 2016 - 2017 school year

(Baonghean.vn) - With nearly 10 years of experience implementing the School Milk Program, in the last days of September, Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) in collaboration with the Departments of Education and Training of Dong Nai, Bac Ninh and Ba Ria Vung Tau provinces, officially held a ceremony to launch the School Milk Program for the 2016-2017 school year. With about half a million students receiving milk at school throughout the school year, this is a meaningful activity in response to the National School Milk Program that has just been approved by the Government.

Although the implementation time is different, the School Milk Program in these localities has shown clear effectiveness in improving malnutrition, bringing healthy physical and mental development to children.

Delegates attending the program performed the ceremony of inserting straws into milk cartons to officially launch the National School Milk Program in Dong Nai province organized by Vinamilk and Tetra Pak.

Ba Ria Vung Tau was the first province to implement the school milk program since 2007, the rate of underweight malnutrition (SDD) in children under 6 years old has decreased sharply from 10% in 2006 to 1.6% in 2015 and stunting malnutrition has decreased from 4.7% in 2012 to 2.7% in 2015. In Bac Ninh, where the first program was implemented in the North, the rate of underweight malnutrition has decreased from 6.6% (2013) to 2.3% (2015); and stunting malnutrition has decreased from 8% (2013) to 3.8%.

Dong Nai is currently the province implementing the largest School Milk Program: providing milk for the entire preschool and part of the primary school. Although Dong Nai province still faces many difficulties due to its large and complex area, the program has brought impressive results. The rate of underweight children in 2013 was 9%, now it has decreased to 6.2% in 2015 and stunting children decreased from 10% to 7.5%.

The Organizing Committee of the program awarded the most beautiful models made from milk cartons to the winning units.

In addition, the School Milk Program has also contributed to improving public awareness of drinking milk for children's health and development, helping parents feel secure about the origin and quality of milk their children drink at school, reducing the burden of milk costs for parents.

At the launching ceremony of the program in Dong Nai province on September 28, a representative of the Ministry of Health noted: “Ba Ria Vung Tau, Bac Ninh and Dong Nai are the first localities in the country to implement the School Milk model in a very systematic and successful manner. This demonstrates the vision, deep and practical concern of leaders, cadres and people in building people, the most valuable assets of their localities. I am confident that the success of this model will quickly spread to all other provinces and cities to realize the goals set out in the National School Milk Program.”

Many teachers and preschool students in Dong Nai attended the launching ceremony of the National School Milk Program in Dong Nai province organized by Vinamilk and Tetra Pak.

Vinamilk, with nearly 10 years of experience implementing the School Milk program in localities across the country, has decided to pioneer in accompanying the Government and related Ministries, especially the Ministry of Health, to implement the School Milk program on a national scale. On the occasion of its 40th anniversary, in 2016 Vinamilk decided to support 14 billion VND for students in 14 of the most disadvantaged provinces in Vietnam (Lai Chau, Ha Giang, Dien Bien, Son La, Lao Cai, Cao Bang, Kon Tum, Hoa Binh, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Yen Bai, Gia Lai, Tuyen Quang and Ninh Thuan), based on data reported by the United Nations and Vietnamese Government working group on hunger eradication and poverty reduction.

Also within the framework of the 2016 School Milk program, Vinamilk will continue to accompany Ba Ria Vung Tau, Dong Nai, Khanh Hoa, Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Bac Ninh to implement the school milk program, aiming to support preschool and primary school students, those from families with difficult economic circumstances and nutritional deficiencies so that they have the conditions to develop physically and intellectually.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Sinh - National Sales Director of Vinamilk shared nearly 10 years of experience implementing the School Milk program at the festival.

In 2016, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary, Vinamilk also donated 6 billion VND to 6 provinces implementing the School Milk program to encourage and motivate localities that are doing well. Thus, the total amount of 20 billion VND that Vinamilk contributed to the School Milk program in 20 provinces in 2016 will be equivalent to nearly 4 million boxes of milk for preschool and primary school students.

And if calculated from the 2007-2009 school year, when Vinamilk began to coordinate with the provinces to implement the program, the total number of students benefiting from the program will be 380 thousand students and the total subsidy budget from Vinamilk will be 92 billion VND.

After nearly 10 years of Vinamilk pioneering in coordinating with provinces to implement the school milk program, the total number of students benefiting from the program is 380 thousand students and the total subsidy budget from Vinamilk is 92 billion VND.

The School Milk Program in the world has a history of more than 100 years. In Asia and Japan, the program is considered a miraculous model in improving stature. Started in the 50s of the last century, the School Milk Program has helped increase the average height of Japanese young men from 1m50, the shortest in Asia, to 1m72 today. Meanwhile, Vietnamese young people are currently the shortest in Asia. Therefore, the implementation of the School Milk Program is very urgent if Vietnam wants to improve its race and the quality of its human resources.

Children from An Binh Kindergarten, Bien Hoa are participating in fun games with comedian Xuan Bac at the school milk festival organized by Vinamilk and Tetra Pak.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Sinh, National Sales Director of Vinamilk shared: “Vinamilk has always been interested in promoting the School Milk program for many years as one of the most important activities of the company. With the School Milk program, Vinamilk's products have been carefully researched on the necessary micronutrients for school-age children with the consultation of many nutrition experts at home and abroad to ensure that students are provided with adequate nutrients during their studies at school. Vinamilk's wish is that all children drink milk every day to improve the physical stature of Vietnamese people for a Vietnam that always strives to grow.”

In addition, the School Milk Program also received technical advice from Tetra Pak (Sweden) - a unit with more than 50 years of experience supporting School Milk Programs in 56 countries.

After 3 years of implementing the very successful School Milk program in Dong Nai province, teachers and students of kindergartens in the province have created many models made from milk cartons. Through the reuse of these very useful milk cartons, teachers and students of kindergartens in Dong Nai province have also demonstrated a beautiful act of protecting the environment and reducing waste.

In 2015, more than 70 million children around the world were provided with milk and nutritious drinks in Tetra Pak packaging under the School Milk Program.

Mr. Robert Graves, CEO of Tetra Pak, said: “Tetra Pak’s aseptic processing and packaging technology plays an important role in promoting the School Milk Program globally, as it helps bring safe, quality milk cartons to students everywhere. Tetra Pak is committed to continuing to work closely with stakeholders to build and support the sustainable development of the School Milk Program in Vietnam.”

According to nutritionists, children's diets need a lot of micronutrients to ensure comprehensive physical and mental development, creating a good foundation for their future. However, due to economic conditions and low awareness, Vietnamese children are facing malnutrition and stunting, with a rate of up to 25% in children under 5 years old. Drinking milk is recommended by governments and nutritionists as an effective measure to promptly supplement missing nutrients, helping to improve children's physical condition, immune system, and digestion.

PV