Maternal and Child Health Services

The Fourth National Economic and Social Development Plan
 (1977-1981). Part III , Chapter 7, p.265.

Date:     1977-1981

Source:     Office of the Prime Minister, National Economic and Social Development Board, Bangkok, Thailand

Subject:     maternal and child care, nutrition, child development centres

A National Food and Nutrition Committee will be set up as soon as possible to coordinate the operations of various agencies working in this field. A Food and Nutrition Institution will be established for promoting research activities and training of personnel involved in the implementation of food and nutrition programmes and the dissemination of knowledge on food and nutrition to the general public. An agency will be established to produce infant and supplementary foods in sufficient quantities. This agency will aim at reducing per unit cost of production and will be responsible for distributing products to low-income people in urban and rural areas. The Provincial Food and nutrition Committee will be organized to operate at the local level.

The high prevalence rate of protein-calorie malnutrition among children under four years of age will be reduced. In addition, the nutritional condition of mothers (pregnant and lactating mothers) will be improved. The Government will extend health services in this field during the next five years as follows:-

For infants less than 6 months old, health services will be provided through mothers via the provision of basic knowledge on food and nutrition. During the next five years, 4,803 child development centres will be built and nutrition education will be provided for 926,000 mothers.

With respect to the production and distribution of supplementary foods, the Institute for Food Research and Product Development at Kasetsart University will cooperate with the Ministry of Public Health to promote the production of 32,126.95 tons of such foods for 628,750 children (6 months-2 years old). In addition, 6,236.2 tons of supplementary foods will be provided for 748,500 pre-school children (3-5 years old).

The Department of Agricultural Extension will support the production of raw materials for the production of infant and supplementary foods through encouragement of soya bean and mung bean cultivation. During the next five years, 73,600 tons of these raw materials should be produced.