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West China county improves rural children health with free eggs

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-07 18:28

Half of the county's schools also added more vegetables and bean curds to meals.

In November 2007, experts with the State Food and Nutrition Consultant Committee (SFNCC), the Nutrition and Food Institute under China Disease Prevention and Control Center (CDPCC), and the Shanxi Provincial Disease Prevention and Control Center paid a field inspection tour to Jingle County.

According to Ma Guansheng, director of the Nutrition and Food Institute under the CDPCC, "The One Egg Per Day project furnishes precious experiences for the country to promulgate measures improving children's nutrition in poverty-stricken areas. It is worthwhile to promote the practice in West China."

In 2008, Jingle's one-egg-per-day program became known nationwide.

In April, the United Nations Child's Fund (UNCF) sponsored a seminar in Beijing discussing strategies to improve nutrition. Wang Shudong, the party chief of Jingle, was invited to introduce his county's work at the seminar. The egg program won high admiration from officials and experts.

Liu Debao, director of the Shanxi Food Nutrition Consultation Committee (SFNCC), proposed the country list the program as a national student nutrition program, along with the student milk and soybean action plan, which started in China in 1995.

In April 2008, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao raised government subsidies to improve children's nutrition starting with rural boarding schools.

In June 2008, the country released the Report on Chinese Children Nutrition and Health Conditions. For the first time in China's history, children's nutrition and health conditions in West China were detailed and announced.

According to this latest report, West China had about 7.6 million poor children, under the age of 14, who were shorter and weighed less than their urban counterparts. They were also 4 cm shorter and 0.6 kg lighter than standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Children in West China largely had insufficient nutrition in quantity and quality.

The report went on to say there were about 60 million rural poor in the country. More than half reside in West China.

Observing the pressing situation, State Councilor Liu Yandong, in charge of China's education affairs, instructed the education ministry to promote the Jingle county program nationwide this September.

To date, the one egg per day policy has been implemented in the western provinces of Guangxi, Gansu and Shaanxi.

While their health improves, rural poor children gain something more from the program.

Student Wang Jing, wrote in her diary, "One egg a day has improved my health. It has also taught me to help others with love and reward society."

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