I.           HISTORY OF ESTABLISHMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

The Department of Community Nutrition, formerly known as the Department of Hygiene – Economics – Dietary Planning, has been a pioneering unit within the professional structure of the National Institute of Nutrition since its inception. Over 35 years of growth and development, the Department has changed its functions, duties, names three times as follows:

-        From June 1980 to 1988: Department of Hygiene – Economics – Dietary Planning.

-        From 1988 to 1993: Department of Basic and Community Nutrition.

-        From 1993 to the present: Department of Community Nutrition.

Over 45 years of construction and development, the Department has achieved several outstanding achievements as follows:

In scientific research:

-        In the early years of the Institute's establishment, the Department had key investigators participating in state-level scientific research programs such as 64-02-01-01 (1981-1985); 64D-(1986-1990). In the following years, the Department continuously led and implemented 8 state-level projects, 4 ministerial-level projects, and numerous institutional-level projects.

-        National surveys: The Department was assigned to lead, organize and administer 06 national surveys in ecological regions and nationwide on: Xerophthalmia due to vitamin A deficiency (1994); Anemia status and related factors (1995); Nutritional status of children and vitamin A deficiency (1998); National survey on actual dietary intake and nutritional status of the Vietnamese population (2000); National survey on overweight and obesity status among people aged 25–64 and related factors (2005); National lipid nutrition survey among adults (2007–2008); Participation in the National Nutrition Surveys 2009–2010 and 2019–2020.

-        Lead unit in implementing prominent nutrition intervention programs such as the Vitamin A Deficiency and Xerophthalmia Prevention Program; Nutritional Anemia Control Program; Child Malnutrition Control Program – the Department of Community Nutrition was the lead unit from 2002 to 2005.

-        Standardizing, updating, and improving routine dietary survey techniques: Development of the illustrated food portion booklet for dietary surveys in children aged 3–5 years (2014), illustrated dietary survey booklet (2020); Dietary survey techniques using mobile network applications and mobile apps on tablets and smartphones; Dietary survey techniques through collection of biological samples such as urine, etc.

Participation in national policy and strategy development: Department staff participated in various activities such as developing national policies and strategies, including: National Nutrition Strategies for 2001–2010 and 2011–2020; National Nutrition Action Plans on a 5-year cycle; Child Nutrition Improvement Project 2011–2015; National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases 2015–2025; National Action Plan to control risk factors of non-communicable diseases 2015–2020; National Action Plan for communication and advocacy to reduce salt intake in diets to prevent hypertension, stroke, and other non-communicable diseases, 2018–2025.

In international cooperation: The Department of Community Nutrition led the implementation of several nutrition research and intervention projects in collaboration with international organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, FAO, ILSI, IRD, PCD, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) – USA, Boston University – USA, INTAKE – USA, George Institute for Global Health (TGI) – Australia, Wageningen University – the Netherlands.

Development of specialized documents: The Department is responsible for developing professional materials to serve as a basis for research and nutrition education on balanced diets for the community, participates in compiling textbooks and teaching community nutrition in training programs for Nutrition Bachelors, Doctors, Masters, and PhD candidates.

Lead authorship of publications including several books and the “Vietnamese Nutrition Pyramid for 2011–2020”

The Department has received Certificates of Merit from the Minister of Health for many consecutive years, and notably in 2000, was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit awarded by the Prime Minister.

II.         FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES

Currently, the function and duty of the Department of Community Nutrition is to conduct applied research and implement community nutrition activities to contribute to improving dietary practices, nutritional status, and public health in line with each stage of the country's socio-economic development. The Department's professional tasks include:

-      Nutritional epidemiology research: Studying food consumption, changes in dietary habits, and lifestyles related to nutritional status and health among population groups in each stage of socio-economic development. Studying growth trends and changes in physical status among Vietnamese people.

-      Researching community-based intervention solutions to improve dietary practices, child growth and development, nutritional status and health, and prevent nutrition-related diseases among various population groups across the life cycle.

-      Research and development of techniques and tools for dietary assessment and menu consultation for different target groups.

-      Policy and strategy development: Participating in developing national nutrition strategies for various periods, 5-year national nutrition action plans, and national strategies for prevention of non-communicable diseases.

-      Development of professional materials as a basis for research and communication in nutrition education on balanced diets for the community.

-      Participation in community nutrition training.

III.      DEVELOPMENT ORIENTATION

-      Promote research on dietary pattern changes and their relationship with diseases and health through national surveys and community surveillance points.

-      Develop guidelines on balanced diets and physical activity, tools for communication, education, and dietary counseling on balanced diets and physical activity for different target groups across the life cycle.

-      Conduct pilot studies and implement community-based interventions to improve dietary practices, ensuring adequate and healthy nutrition for various target groups.

-      Coordinate organization of communication and education campaigns on healthy nutrition in the community to raise awareness and change attitudes and practices.

-      Coordinate to strengthen community nutrition activities through capacity building for health sector nutrition staff and stakeholders on balanced nutrition...

IV.      IMAGES OF SELECTED UNIT ACTIVITIES