This year, the "Milk Immunity" program will be implemented with the participation of national producers, who will provide milk to 189,600 primary school students in Ulaanbaatar. This initiative aims to support the growth and health of children. The governor and mayor of the capital, Nyambaatar Khishgee, along with other officials, visited the Harumafudzi dairy farm, where they discussed the details of the program's implementation. The mayor noted: "Milk supply in Japan has existed since 1959, in Korea since 1981, and in China since 2005. In Mongolia, dairy programs have been functioning for two years at the Harumafudzi school in New Mongolia. Before launching the program, we plan to conduct an assessment of children's health and growth indicators. Next school year, we would improve the program by using packaging made from environmentally friendly materials."
Byambadorj Davaanyam from Harumafudzi emphasized: "To assess the effectiveness of milk nutrition in our school, we conducted special studies with the consent of parents and teachers. The results of comparative analyses conducted in the fall and spring showed that regular milk consumption helps maintain normal levels of calcium and vitamin D, and positively affects children's growth. Additionally, there has been a decrease in the incidence of colds and flu among students, which is associated with this program and physical education classes. At our farm, the milk undergoes thermal processing, making it safe even for children with lactose intolerance."
According to Battor Lkhagvaa, director of the National Center for Public Health, "The national nutrition survey is conducted every five years. According to the results of the last survey conducted in 2023, only 15% of children had sufficient levels of vitamin D, while the rest showed a deficiency. Due to Mongolia's harsh climate, children do not receive the necessary amount of vitamin D from food. In many cold climate countries, milk is fortified with vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. We will assess baseline health data for children, and after the program's implementation, we will conduct a study to analyze its results."
The plans for the 2026–2027 school year include expanding the program to cover 430,000 students in grades 1–12 in Ulaanbaatar's public schools.
