Strengthening Local Health Capacity: A Unified Effort to Combat Childhood Overweight and Obesity in Da Nang

On November 14 and 15, 2024, the Da Nang Center for Disease Control (CDC Da Nang) successfully held two comprehensive training sessions aimed at enhancing the capacity to prevent and manage overweight and obesity among children. These sessions were part of the broader project, “Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) in Da Nang, 2023-2026,” jointly implemented by UNICEF Vietnam and the Da Nang Department of Health.

Targeting Specialized Health Teams for Maximum Impact

The training program engaged a diverse group of 72 participants, including:

• 53 medical staff from public and private secondary schools,
• 13 healthcare professionals from seven district health centers,
• 6 officials from Da Nang CDC.

Led by Master Doctor Ngo Van Quang (Head of the Department of Nutrition) and Master Nguyen Huu Quy (Head of the Department of Health Education and Communication), the participants gained access to:

• Comprehensive resources on school-based nutrition education under the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) – Da Nang, 2023-2026,
• Innovative methods for education and communication designed to enhance nutritional awareness,
• In-depth knowledge on preventing and addressing overweight and obesity, bridging both theoretical insights and practical treatment approaches.

Integrating Modern Technology for Enhanced Nutritional Assessment

A key highlight of the training program was the hands-on instruction on utilizing the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Anthro software, led by Master Doctor Ngo Van Quang, Head of the Department of Nutrition at CDC Da Nang. This advanced tool is specifically designed to analyze children’s nutritional data, leveraging the WHO 2007 reference anthropometric standards for individuals aged 5 to 19 years.

Participants were guided through the process of installing and practicing with WHO AnthroPlus software on Windows systems to effectively evaluate three critical nutritional indicators:

• Weight-for-age,
• Height-for-age,
• Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-age.

Striving for a Healthier Young Generation

In addition to imparting knowledge and practical skills, the program actively incorporated feedback from participants, such as the proposal to equip schools with electronic scales and measuring tapes. This proactive measure is a vital step toward empowering medical teams to confidently monitor and provide tailored nutritional support for children.

Together for the Future of Da Nang’s Children

These training sessions are part of a broader series of efforts aimed at creating a healthy living environment and raising awareness about proper nutrition. By fostering these changes, the program seeks to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesityamong children in Da Nang.

Let’s join hands to build a generation of healthy, well-nourished, and comprehensively developed children in Da Nang!