Ireland's €900K grant expands life-saving nutrition program across Southeast Asia

A €900,000 grant from the Irish government will expand a nutrition program across Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The funding builds on Ireland's long-term support, which has now reached €7.8 million since 2017. The initiative will use Vietnam's successful breastfeeding model to guide health workers in neighbouring countries.

The program operates through 140 hospitals and health centres in the three nations. It collaborates with local health ministries to shape national policies on nutrition. A key focus is improving access to essential services for vulnerable groups, particularly mothers and young children.

Vietnam's Centre of Excellence for Breastfeeding has been chosen as a mentoring framework for Cambodian and Laotian health officials. While no other countries have adopted this model so far, the project aims to strengthen regional cooperation. The goal is to boost infant and young child nutrition through shared expertise and training.

Ireland's latest contribution follows years of investment in the region. Since 2017, the country has provided €7.8 million to support nutrition and health initiatives. The new grant will help scale up proven methods, starting with Vietnam's breastfeeding program as a foundation.

The expanded program will now cover more health facilities and policy-making efforts in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Health officials in Cambodia and Laos will receive training based on Vietnam's breastfeeding model. The initiative continues to target better nutrition outcomes for infants and young children across the region.