Dr. Ahmad Esmaeilzadeh, head of the Nutrition Improvement Office of the Ministry of Health, announced the ministry's nutritional programs for students at a press conference marking the start of the school year. He stated that the school nutrition program will be implemented with a budget of over 15 trillion in the new school year.
Increased Budget and Name Change of the Program
Esmaeilzadeh added that the budget for this program has increased by about 2.5 times compared to previous years. The name of the program has also changed from 'School Milk' to 'School Nutrition' to include other food items in addition to milk.
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The head of the Nutrition Improvement Office of the Ministry of Health emphasized that the ideal goal of this program is to cover all students, but currently, this program is only intended for students in public elementary schools.
Supplementary Program and Nutritional Education
Another program of the Ministry of Health is the implementation of a supplementary program to meet the nutritional needs of students. Esmaeilzadeh announced that iron supplements will be distributed weekly to female students, and a vitamin D supplement will be provided monthly for students over 12 years old.
He mentioned that this year, the method of supplying these supplements has changed, stating that they will be purchased centrally and transferred to universities through health insurance to reduce supply issues.
The head of the Nutrition Improvement Office of the Ministry of Health also announced the holding of nutritional education sessions for school parents and students. About 2,000 nutrition experts in the country will provide necessary training to students.
Monitoring School Canteens and Student Obesity
Esmaeilzadeh spoke about school canteens, stating that a healthy nutrition program is implemented in these canteens, and every year guidelines regarding permitted and prohibited food items are announced. He reported weaknesses in the supervision of these canteens and urged schools and families to cooperate in this regard.
He also announced the implementation of a screening program for obesity and overweight among students, stating that about 24 to 25 percent of students are facing overweight and obesity issues. Esmaeilzadeh expressed hope that appropriate actions would prevent the worsening of this situation.
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