Impact of climate change on undernutrition among women and children in Vietnam: what are the existing inequities and proposed solutions for the future?

Background: Climate change is seen as a global problem that requires immediate action to prevent and minimize its impact as much as possible. Climate change has a direct and severe impact on food security and nutrition in developing countries. Vietnam is being loaded by the double burden of climate change and undernutrition in the general population. However, the impact of climate change on the nutritional status of women and children in the affected areas is not clear.Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the nutritional status and nutritional inequalities that exist as adverse outcomes of climate change on the population of children and women in Vietnam.Method: A documentary review was conducted for this study and 30 out of 4577 topics were eligible which were retrieved from PUBMED, SCIENCEDIRECT, SCOPUS, and some from other sources. Results: The nutritional security inequalities reported in this paper are that households do not have enough food to eat, there exists reduced food consumption during the period of extreme weather events. For households in mountainous areas, food is mainly based on wild crops, with high potential for toxic substances. 10 out of 32 studies examined the impact of climate change on child undernutrition in Vietnam. The reported nutritional problem is mainly stunting and HAZ scores in the child population, as a consequence of climate change. The study did not find data to report nutritional status in women related to climate change. Lastly, the current policy of Vietnam is focused on climate change adaptation and mitigation. Nevertheless, there are still policies that are not ready to respond to the impacts of climate change along with inadequate food distribution programs and policies related to it for the people living in affected areas. Conclusion: Climate change results to undernutrition in the general child population, causing long-term consequences for physical and mental development if not promptly intervened. Addressing the "dual goals" of climate change and undernutrition at the same time requires the Vietnamese government to be more resolute, requiring multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder cooperation efforts from the local to the central level, and increased calls for support from international organizations.