Because malnutrition in early life significantly affects the physical and mental development of children, addressing malnutrition is fundamental to the development of Vietnam’s human capital. Economic development of the nation depends on the strength, resilience, and intelligence of its workforce. Governments dedicate millions of dollars annually to health and education, recognizing that individual losses in productivity may run as high as 10 percent of lifetime earnings and that as much as 11 percent of GDP could be lost each year in Asia and Africa due to undernutrition. The ethnic minority groups living mainly in the northern midlands and in the mountainous and central highlands regions are consistently more undernourished than the Kinh majority. Despite decreases in stunting, the prevalence of stunting among ethnic minority children is still twice that in the Kinh ethnic group. There has been an overall decline in wasting of 1.7 percent between 2000 and 2011, although only the richest quintile showed a significant reduction (3.4 percent). These data, along with an overall decrease in the prevalence of wasting and stunting, indicate an increase in nutrition inequality between 2000 and 2011. Moreover, it is noteworthy that the ethnic minority groups constitute the majority of the undernourished populations in most of the 10 provinces with the highest rates of stunting among children under 5 years old. This analytical report describes the very high rates of malnutrition among ethnic minority populations in Vietnam. It assesses the determinants and causes, using a causal framework and systems analysis; reviews current commitments and policies directed at reducing disparities in malnutrition; examines implementation of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions, particularly those that require multisectoral coordination and collaboration; draws conclusions based on the analysis; and recommends how policies and programs can be strengthened to reduce inequities and fulfill the economic potential of all ethnic groups.

On average, Vietnam has achieved remarkable improvements in nutritional status in recent decades, but improvements in national aggregates mask wide disparities and a persistent 'very high' burden among disadvantaged ethnic minority groups. Between 2000 and 2010, national stunting rates dropped from 36.5 percent to 24.2 percent. The decrease from 2010 to 2015 was not as great, but when the 2015 data are disaggregated according to ethnic group, the Kinh majority has a prevalence of 17.7 percent, whereas the prevalence in other ethnic groups is 32.0 percent. This pattern repeats itself for the prevalence of underweight (a significant drop nationally from 33.8 percent in 2000 to 14.1 percent in 2015 but a 9.7 percent prevalence in the Kinh ethnic group in 2015 versus 21.9 percent in other ethnic groups) and wasting (a decrease from 8.6 percent to 5.6 percent in national prevalence from 2000 to 2015 but a 9.1 percent prevalence for Kinh versus 5.5 percent for other ethnic groups (WB Assessment 2012). The gap between the ethnic majority and minority has persisted despite the multiple government programs aimed at reducing it. As the economy has evolved from predominantly agriculture to a mix of agriculture and technology, the requirements of the workforce have changed as well. Manual labor is still necessary but no longer enough. The need is for intelligent, highly educated and skilled workers. All of these attributes are the product of a healthy, well-nourished population. Deficiencies in nutrition and health, lower levels of education, lack of language skills in the national language, and inability to migrate to jobs in urban centers of ethnic minorities have further hindered their ability to narrow the gap in nutrition and economic well-being.

On average, Vietnam has achieved remarkable improvements in nutritional status in recent decades, but improvements in national aggregates mask wide disparities and a persistent 'very high' burden among disadvantaged ethnic minority groups. Between 2000 and 2010, national stunting rates dropped from 36.5 percent to 24.2 percent. The decrease from 2010 to 2015 was not as great, but when the 2015 data are disaggregated according to ethnic group, the Kinh majority has a prevalence of 17.7 percent, whereas the prevalence in other ethnic groups is 32.0 percent. This pattern repeats itself for the prevalence of underweight (a significant drop nationally from 33.8 percent in 2000 to 14.1 percent in 2015 but a 9.7 percent prevalence in the Kinh ethnic group in 2015 versus 21.9 percent in other ethnic groups) and wasting (a decrease from 8.6 percent to 5.6 percent in national prevalence from 2000 to 2015 but a 9.1 percent prevalence for Kinh versus 5.5 percent for other ethnic groups (WB Assessment 2012). The gap between the ethnic majority and minority has persisted despite the multiple government programs aimed at reducing it. As the economy has evolved from predominantly agriculture to a mix of agriculture and technology, the requirements of the workforce have changed as well. Manual labor is still necessary but no longer enough. The need is for intelligent, highly educated and skilled workers. All of these attributes are the product of a healthy, well-nourished population. Deficiencies in nutrition and health, lower levels of education, lack of language skills in the national language, and inability to migrate to jobs in urban centers of ethnic minorities have further hindered their ability to narrow the gap in nutrition and economic well-being.

The latest edition of this textbook provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview of the major issues specific to the field of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition. The textbook begins with a section on gastroenterology and nutrition that presents the overall scope of issues encountered in children suffering from disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, and/or presenting nutritional issues, as well as current and future prospects on the use of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics. The second section is centered around hepatology, reviewing congenital and acquired disorders of the biliary tract and liver, as well as analyzing available diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and future perspectives. Written by experts in the field, Textbook of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition: A Comprehensive Guide, Second Edition is an indispensable resource for students, trainees, and clinicians, sure to distinguish itself as the definitive reference on this topic.

Examining key countries in every region of world, this handbook presents population profiles and analyses concerning racial/ethnic disparities and changing intergroup relations. Inside, prominent scholars from various parts of the world and disciplines address the links between stratification, demography, and conflict across the globe. Organized by region/continent, coverage for each profiled country includes demographic information; a historical overview that addresses past racial/ethnic conflict; identification of the most salient demographic trends and issues that the country faces; theoretical issues related to the linkages between stratification, demography, and conflict; methodological issues including quality of data and cutting-edge methods to better understand the issue at hand; and details on the possible future of the existing trends and issues with particular emphasis on public policy and human rights. This handbook will help readers to better understand the commonalities and differences that exist globally in the interplay between stratification, demography, and conflict. In addition, it also provides an excellent inventory of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches that are needed to better comprehend this issue. This handbook will appeal to students, researchers, and policy analysts in the areas of race and ethnic relations, demography, inequality, international sociology, international relations, foreign studies, social geography, and social development.

The Nutrition and Health series of books have, as an overriding mission, to provide health professionals with texts that are considered essential because each includes: 1) a synthesis of the state of the science, 2) timely, in-depth reviews by the leading researchers in their respective fields, 3) extensive, up-to-date fully annotated reference lists, 4) a detailed index, 5) relevant tables and figures, 6) identification of paradigm shifts and the consequences, 7) virtually no overlap of information between chapters, but targeted, inter-chapter referrals, 8) suggestions of areas for future research and 9) balanced, data driven answers to patient /health professionals questions which are based upon the total ity of evidence rather than the findings of any single study. The series volumes are not the outcome of a symposium. Rather, each editor has the potential to examine a chosen area with a broad perspective, both in subject matter as well as in the choice of chapter authors. The international perspective, especially with regard to public health initiatives, is emphasized where appropriate. The editors, whose trainings are both research and practice oriented, have the opportunity to develop a primary objec tive for their book; define the scope and focus, and then invite the leading authorities from around the world to be part of their initiative. The authors are encouraged to provide an overview of the field, discuss their own research and relate the research findings to potential human health consequences.

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