Lao PDR and UNICEF launch Child Nutrition Fund to bring care closer to families

Vientiane, 15 October 2025 - The Government of Lao PDR, together with UNICEF and development partners, today launched the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) - a national push to prevent, detect and treat child malnutrition while building reliable services in every community.

The CNF will deliver a package of essential nutrition services for all children under 5 and their caregivers. It supports the shift to a more complete multiple-micronutrient supplement for pregnant women, replacing iron-only tablets. The programme aims to raise vitamin A coverage in target areas toward 84 per cent and increase maternal supplementation coverage. These steps respond to rising child wasting, at about 11 per cent, pressures intensified by inadequate feeding practices, food insecurity, inflation and climate shocks.

“The CNF turns policy into practice where families live,” said Magali Romedenne, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Lao PDR. “It connects national leadership with local action - more complete prenatal multiple-micronutrient to replace older iron-folic tablets, wider vitamin A coverage, better counselling for parents, reliable supplies in clinics, and smarter use of data and budgets. With government and partners aligned, we can protect children now and build a nutrition system that endures.”

The CNF will also invest in the foundations that make progress stick - stronger routine data, dependable supply chains and clearer tracking of domestic budgets for nutrition - so improvements continue long after external funding ends.