For a healthy Vietnam: Starting with nutrition and food safety in schools
On the morning of August 11th in Hanoi, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) organized the workshop “Accompanying – Building the Future – For a Healthy Vietnam”. This activity focused on ensuring safe and appropriate school meals; and also aimed to promote communication about school health and connect social re–2035
Báo Đại Đoàn Kết•11/08/2026
Towards comprehensive school health care
With the upcoming 2026-2027 school year, ensuring adequate and reasonable school meals is a common concern for many parents
According to Mr. Hoang Duc Minh, Director of the Student Affairs Department (Ministry of Education and Training), in implementing Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW, the regulations of the Law on Disease Prevention and Decree No. 165/2026/ND-CP, the Ministry of Education and Training has submitted to the Prime Minister for promulgation Decision No. 973/QD-TTg approving the School Health Program for the period 2026-2035. The general objective of the program is to improve the quality and effectiveness of school health work and activities related to health education , protection, care, and management in educational institutions to ensure conditions for students’ comprehensive physical and mental development; contributing to the achievement of breakthrough goals and solutions for the development of education and training, and strengthening the protection, care, and improvement of people’s health. The program outlines targets to be achieved in two phases: 2026-2030 and 2031-2035.
Decision 973/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister clearly states the requirement: “To expand the model of school meals that ensure proper nutrition combined with physical activity; to effectively assess nutritional status and coordinate with families in ensuring proper nutrition for children and students…”
The approach outlined above goes beyond simply improving the quality of school meals; it aims for comprehensive school health care. This involves a combination of proper nutrition, physical activity, monitoring nutritional status, and collaboration between the school and families. In other words, an effective school meal model needs to simultaneously address multiple objectives: meeting nutritional needs, fostering healthy eating habits, promoting physical activity, and raising awareness among students, teachers, and parents.
Information presented at the conference revealed that Vietnam has implemented pilot programs in line with this direction. Of particular note is the pilot model “School meals ensuring balanced nutrition combined with enhanced physical activity for Vietnamese children and students” (referred to as the Pilot Model). This model is implemented by the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Health (National Institute of Nutrition), and leading experts from Vietnam and abroad, with the initiative and support of TH Group – a food company with many activities aimed at realizing the aspiration to improve the stature of the younger generation in Vietnam. The program was piloted during the 2020-2021 school year at the preschool and primary school levels in 10 provinces and cities representing 5 major ecological regions across the country.
The effectiveness of the School Meal Model extends beyond improving “meals on the tray,” contributing to improvements in children’s physical health; it also reflects positive changes in nutritional education. Implementation results show that over 95% of teachers and parents participating in the model have shown positive changes in their knowledge and attitudes towards proper nutrition. Kitchen staff have also shown significant improvements in awareness and professional skills. Adopting a scientific and standardized processing method has enhanced the role of school kitchens within the school education system.
According to experts, after more than 5 years, the contents of the Model still retain their reference value in the context of Vietnam continuing to simultaneously face malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and increasing overweight and obesity among schoolchildren
School meals should be considered an educational priority
Speaking at the workshop, Ms. Jenelle Babb, Regional Advisor on Health Education and Integral Development , UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, emphasized that the Health-Promoting School model is a key initiative to promote the implementation of school health and nutrition programs
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According to Jenelle Babb, globally, 9 out of 10 countries have implemented school health and nutrition policies or programs; more than 100 countries have school immunization programs; and almost every country includes health education content in its curriculum
Drawing on the experiences of the five pioneering countries involved in developing global standards for school health, Jenelle Babb points out several important lessons
First and foremost, school health must be considered a priority of education, not a task outside the education sector. Therefore, this content needs to be clearly reflected in the plans, procedures, and monitoring systems of the education sector. In addition, it is necessary to build upon and develop existing foundations, strengthen programs and ongoing reforms, rather than creating entirely new initiatives
Regarding Vietnam, Ms. Jenelle Babb believes that several important steps have been taken. However, continued focus is needed on several issues. Firstly, establishing or strengthening inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms with clear roles and accountability. Secondly, reviewing and specifying the global standards for Health-Promoting Schools to suit the Vietnamese context. Thirdly, investing in capacity building at all levels, from education planning officers and provincial/city education officials to teachers directly in schools. Fourthly, developing a financial plan and program monitoring mechanism from the outset, including the use of the Health-Promoting Schools indicator set.
An important point to note is that schools are not platforms for implementing single-party health interventions, nor are they “extensions” of the health sector providing medical services. School health and nutrition programs should be designed to complement teaching and learning, not to compete with or overshadow the educational mission. This is also why multi-stakeholder, interdisciplinary partnerships are particularly important
Sharing practical experience, Mr. Nguyen Vinh Thanh – Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Bac Ninh province – emphasized that caring for, protecting, and improving students’ health is not only the responsibility of the Education or Health sectors, but also the shared responsibility of the entire political system and society. Practical implementation in Bac Ninh province shows that with close coordination, unified direction from all levels of government, and the support of families, businesses, social organizations, and the media, school health work will create clear, practical, and sustainable changes.
Mr. Pham The Quyen, Director of Research and Development at TH Group, emphasized the need to consider school nutrition as part of the human development strategy. To ensure that Decision 973/QD-TTg truly comes into effect and leads to a more sustainable legal framework, the TH Group representative proposed further improvements to the implementation mechanism, aiming for a synchronized, stable, and sustainable approach. This would contribute to standardizing the organization of school meals, instead of relying on part-time personnel as is currently the case.
Next is ensuring financial reen. The budget for school nutrition programs needs to be implemented transparently, coordinating state budget and social contributions: clearly defining the state’s subsidy, parental contributions, and business partnerships. Clearly defining responsibilities and coordination mechanisms will ensure sustainability and improve the efficiency of re
Organizing school lunch programs that are appropriate to local conditions, based on agricultural advantages and lifestyle habits, in accordance with the research results of the pilot model of school meals ensuring balanced nutrition combined with increased physical activity for Vietnamese children, students, and university students. This will ensure feasibility and sustainability when implemented on a large scale
Sharing their views at the workshop, experts emphasized the role of media in building social consensus and proposed research into developing a School Nutrition Law to institutionalize policies and guidelines on improving the health, physical fitness, and stature of the younger generation
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According to journalist Trieu Ngoc Lam, Editor-in-Chief of the Education and Times newspaper, now that the policies and objectives are clear, the question is how to create real change in each school, locality, and for each student. In the context of increasingly diverse healthcare needs and limited state budget re
Therefore, school health communication should not only provide knowledge about nutrition, hygiene, school disease prevention, food safety, physical activity, or mental health, but also contribute to changing perceptions and behaviors, and connecting policy with practice. Accordingly, communication needs to transform specific needs into visible problems, identify goals to be addressed, and connect those goals with appropriate re
Proposal to enact a Law on School Nutrition
Within the framework of the aforementioned conference, a panel discussion titled “School Health Communication and Mobilizing Social Resources: From Awareness to Action” was held. Speakers focused on identifying challenges and gaps in school health care. Through discussions, delegates agreed on a child-centered approach, emphasizing the importance of implementing policies in schools, utilizing data to improve quality, and ensuring the participation of social resources based on expertise, transparency, and fairness. The necessity of enacting a Law on School Nutrition was also mentioned by experts.
Minh Quang
Source: https://daidoanket.vn/vi-mot-viet-nam-khoe-manh-bat-dau-tu-dinh-duong-and-an-toan-thuc-pham-hoc-duong.html
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