Chairman of Lào Cai Province People’s Committee Trịnh Xuân Trường presented a souvenir to the visiting Honorary President of UNICEF Belgium, Queen Mathilde of Belgium during their meeting on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Quốc Khánh

LÀO CAI — Chairman of the People’s Committee of Lào Cai Province Trịnh Xuân Trường on Wednesday hosted a reception for the Honorary President of UNICEF Belgium, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, who is paying a working trip to the northern mountainous locality.

Briefing the guest on the local socio-economic situation as well as potential and advantages, Trường said Lao Cai has received support from many international organisations, including the UNICEF through various programmes and projects, helping the province strengthen people’s equal access to safe studying environment.

However, the Lào Cai official said that the province's education and health care sectors have faced many difficulties due to tough terrain and scattered population, two-thirds of education facilities are in mountainous areas, and 70 per cent of students are from ethnic minority groups.

Meanwhile, mental health care and psychosocial support, especially for children and adolescents have also been limited, Trường said.

He proposed that UNICEF increase assistance to the province in these fields.

Lào Cai hopes to continue receiving support in maternal and child malnutrition prevention and control, especially in disadvantaged communes and communes with a high malnutrition rate, along with financial assistance for reproductive health care activities, he said.

He also called for the UNICEF's support in implementing digital transformation in education and foreign language training for local students and teachers, as well as capacity improvement for teachers in remote and mountainous areas.

Queen Mathilde showed her pleasure at the active coordination and engagement of Lào Cai in UNICEF-funded projects in the locality.

She said that she will tour local education establishments in the province and explore the effectiveness of information technology application in teaching and learning activities. She will also visit nutritional clubs for local mothers and have talks with local students on mental health care, which is one of the issues receiving great attention currently, she added. — VNS