This report was made under frame work of the National Nutrition Surveillance System of Viet Nam, which is an annual exercise led by the national Institute of Nutrition of the MOH. The data is collected in between July and September annually by the Provincial Preventive Centre. 1500 children under five from 30 clusters are involved for each of the province. Data were analyzed by the National Institute of Nutrition with broken down by province. The reports were shared back to the province, which was used for programme monitoring and evidence base planning of local interventions.

The first General Nutrition Survey was conducted between 1981-1985. Further surveys were carried out in 1987-1989 and in 2000. This fourth, and most recent General Survey, was conducted in 2009-2010.

In addition to the aforementioned general surveys, additional data have been collected in the following surveys: Epidemiological survey of vitamin A deficiency and exophthalmia (1985), Survey on maternal and child nutritional status and exophthalmia (1994), National survey of nutritional anemia (1995 and 2000), Assessing the PEM project (2004), and the General survey of overweight and obesity in adults (2005).

The 4th General Survey was conducted to evaluate the 2001-2010 National Nutrition Strategy goals, as well as to provide scientific evidence of trends in food consumption and nutrition status for the National Nutrition Strategy for 2011-2020, with a vision toward 2030.

In addition, data from the General Survey are also useful for nutrition research in national institutions and universities.

The National Institute of Nutrition worked closely in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Department of Science and Training, Department of Preventive Medicine, Department of Maternal and Child Health, and Vietnam Food Administration to successfully conduct the survey.

We also gratefully acknowledge technical guidance from General Statistic Office and UNICEF Hanoi.

Special thanks are also due to the Department of Health and Preventive Medicine Centers in all provinces and cities, as well as local health care workers and households for their active participation.

We are delighted to present the findings of the comprehensive report on the General Nutrition Survey for 2009-2010.

The amendment of the 1992 Constitution offers Viet Nam an opportunity to strengthen the rule of law, promote human rights and enhance equality as well as socio-economic and political stability. While the current draft includes a number of significant and positive changes, UNICEF believes the current draft can be made more responsive to the needs of a third of the country's population – its children.

UNICEF's mission is to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and create opportunities to allow children to reach their full potential. UNICEF's work is guided by the provisions and principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). UNICEF has extensive experience, globally and regionally, supporting countries to reflect the rights of children within their constitutions.

This Profile was prepared to present key findings from the Primary Classroom Language Mapping in Lao Cai province, conducted by UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Training, Lao Cai Department of Education and Planning, and Summer Institute of Linguistics International. The mapping was to collect information on primary school students' strongest language and academic performance, and the teacher's ethnicity and second language abilities. It helped to identify monolingual school sites, where mother tongue based bilingual education (MTBBE) can be applied; the number of teachers who can potentially be the MTBBE teachers; and where students are performing well and where students are performing weakly. The instrument has proven effective and other provinces plan to apply it in future.

This Toolkit was produced over almost a three year period (2010-2012) under the Project on Capacity Building for Social Audits of the Socio-economic Development Plans between UNICEF and the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Viet Nam. The process of developing this Toolkit benefited from direct and indirect support
from many individuals.

UNICEF and the Ministry of Planning and Investment would like to thank the various consultants and staff of the Oversees Development Institute (ODI) for developing this Toolkit. In addition, this Toolkit also went through extensive consultation and review from a wide range of technical staff and advisors from UNICEF and the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Specifically, special thanks are due to the following individuals for their contributions and inputs to the development of this Toolkit: Overseas Development Institute: Helen Banos-Smith, Bernard Gauthier, Katie Heller, Louise Mailloux, Sue Newport, Lance Roberson, Gopakumar Thampi, Carol Watson, Caroline Harper, Nicola Jones, Paola Pereznieto, Evie Browne, Sylvia Nwamaraihe, Thomas Trafalgar Aston.

Ministry of Planning and Investment: Nguyen Quang Thang, Nguyen Tuong Son, Ho Minh Chien, Le Quang Hung and Dang Van Nghi. UNICEF: Paul Quarles Van Ufford, Samman J. Thapa, Vu Manh Hong, Ewout Erik Stoefs, Pham Thi Lan, Nguyen Thi Thanh An, Nguyen Ngoc Trieu.

1. Child Rights-Based Social Audit Manual: A social audit tool to monitor the progress of Viet Nam’s Social and Economic Development Plan
2. Citizen report card manual: A social audit tool to monitor the progress of Viet Nam’s Socio-Economic Development Plan
3. Community scorecard manual: A social audit tool to monitor the progress of Viet Nam’s Socio-Economic Development Plan
4. Gender audit manual: A social audit tool to monitor the progress of Viet Nam’s Socio-Economic Development Plan
5. Public Expenditure Tracking Survey Manual: A social audit tool to monitor the progress of Viet Nam’s Social and Economic Development Plan