What are conditions for food safety for students in Vietnam?

What are conditions for food safety for students in Vietnam?

According to Article 6 of Joint Circular 13/2016/TTLT-BYT-BGDDT, the conditions ensuring food safety conditions are as follows:

(1) Schools with boarding or semi-boarding kitchens

- Ensure the physical conditions of food hygiene and safety according to Clause 1, Clause 2, Clause 3, Section 6, and hygiene requirements for food preservation and processing activities according to Clause 5 of the National Technical Regulation (QCVN 07:2010/BYT) on infectious disease prevention in educational institutions in the national education system issued with Circular No. 46/2010/TT-BYT;

- The kitchens, dining rooms (dining areas), and canteens in schools must comply with the regulations in Article 4 of Circular 30/2012/TT-BYT of the Minister of Health regulating food hygiene and safety conditions for establishments providing food services and street food businesses (Note: This document is no longer in effect);

- For personnel working in school dining rooms and kitchens, health requirements must comply with Circular 15/2012/TT-BYT dated September 12, 2012 of the Minister of Health regulating general conditions for ensuring food safety for food production and business establishments (Note: This document is no longer in effect).

(2) For schools without boarding or semi-boarding kitchens, contracts must be signed with facilities that have food safety condition certification to provide food for students; the school canteen must meet the requirements at point b, clause 1, Article 6 of Joint Circular 13/2016/TTLT-BYT-BGDDT.

What are conditions for food safety for students in Vietnam?​ (Image from the Internet)

What are regulations on organization of the activities of managing, protecting, and caring for students' health in Vietnam?

According to Article 9 of Joint Circular 13/2016/TTLT-BYT-BGDDT, the activities of managing, protecting, and caring for students' health in Vietnam are organized as follows:

- Conduct health checks at the beginning of the school year to assess nutritional status and health: measure height and weight for children under 36 months old; measure height, weight, blood pressure, heart rate, and vision for students 36 months old and older.

- Measure height, weight, record growth charts, monitor physical development for children under 24 months old once a month and for children from 24 months to 6 years old quarterly; monitor the body mass index (BMI) at least twice a year for advising on proper nutrition and physical activity for school students.

- Regularly monitor students' health, detect vision reduction, scoliosis, oral diseases, mental health disorders, and other diseases to handle, transfer to medical facilities as regulated, and apply appropriate study and training policies according to health status.

- Coordinate with eligible medical facilities to organize specialized medical examinations and treatments for students.

- Provide first aid and emergency treatment according to the current regulations of the Ministry of Health.

- Advise students, teachers, parents, or guardians on issues related to diseases, physical and mental development of students; guide students in self-health care; in case of disabled students in the school, provide advice and support for their integration.

- Guide the organization of school meals to ensure proper nutrition, food diversity, suitable for the subjects and ages in schools with boarding or semi-boarding students.

- Coordinate with local health facilities to organize vaccination campaigns, administer disease prevention vaccines for students.

- Regularly notify at least once per school year and when necessary about the students' health status to parents or guardians. School health staff assess students' health status at the end of each educational level to provide a basis for health monitoring at the next level.

- Establish and record in the health examination book, student health monitoring book, and general health status monitoring book for students.

- Regularly inspect and supervise learning conditions, school hygiene, food safety, drinking water provision, and handwashing soap. Proactively implement hygiene policies and measures to prevent epidemics according to Circular 46/2010/TT-BYT and other guidelines from medical authorities.

- Organize the implementation of health programs, hygiene movements, disease prevention, enhance physical activities, maintain reasonable nutrition, build a smoke-free environment, and restrict the use of alcohol and addictive substances.

Where are the funding sources for school health work in Vietnam?

Based on Article 3 of Joint Circular 13/2016/TTLT-BYT-BGDDT, the funding sources for school health work in Vietnam include:

- The annual health, education, and training career funding according to the current budget allocation of units;

- The student health insurance fund according to current regulations;

- Donations, support from domestic and international organizations and individuals according to the law, and other legitimate revenue sources.