School Milk Programme i organised in the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau on Thursday. – VNS Photo

BA RIA – VUNG TAU (Biz Hub) – This year's School Milk Programme was launched in the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau on Thursday to ensure healthy physical and mental development of children.

Run by the province Department of Education and Training, Tetra Pak Viet Nam, and Viet Nam Milk JS Corporation (Vinamilk), the programme targets children in kindergarten and others aged three to five who are malnourished.

Ba Ria – Vung Tau was the first province to institute the programme in 2007 and has achieved outstanding results.

The proportion of underweight children dropped from 3.7 per cent in 2012 to 1.12 per cent in June 2015 and that of stunted children, from 4.6 per cent to 1.18 per cent.

Tran Thi Yen, the department's deputy director, said the programme has been hailed and adopted by neighboring provinces.

Dong Nai and Bac Ninh provincec have adopted the programme. — VNS