VIENTIANE: The Maternal and Child and Nutrition Training Centre officially opened on Tuesday (June 3) in northern Laos' Luang Namtha province, aiming to improve nutrition and maternal and child health awareness through training, knowledge sharing and capacity building.

The centre aims to provide practical training to hospital staff, health centres, volunteers and communities, especially benefiting the northern provinces, Lao National TV reported on Wednesday.

The centre also aims to improve access to knowledge and skills by offering practical training and cooking demonstrations based on nutritional principles, while serving as a resource for parents of malnourished children to help them prepare nutritious meals and combat malnutrition.

Malnutrition remains a major challenge in Laos, with 33 per cent of children under five suffering from severe malnutrition, 21 per cent underweight, and nine per cent stunted. These issues are most common in poor and remote areas.

In response, the initiative to establish the center began in 2019, aiming to reduce severe malnutrition by 25 per cent through health worker training at all levels. Construction began in 2022 and was completed in December 2024, according to the report.

The Lao government is prioritising child nutrition to support brain development and drive national growth. Efforts to combat malnutrition include strengthening coordination, increasing funding, using data for evidence-based programmes, and scaling up key maternal and child nutrition interventions across sectors. - Xinhua