Improving maternity health and children in Viet Nam

Dien Bien is home to 21 ethnic minorities in the Northwest of Vietnam with more than 491,000 inhabitants. Child mortality rate among ethnic minorities is four times higher than the rate of Kinh Hoa. Maternal mortality rate in mountainous area is three times higher than the rate of delta areas.

The reason for this mortality rate is because only a small percentage of pregnant women came to healthcare facilities to give birth, so there are concerns over hygiene and sanitation matters. With the support of the development partners Johnson&Johnson, UNICEF has helped saving the lives of millions of Vietnamese women and children.

In this five year partnership, Johnson&Johnson, UNICEF and Vietnam’s Health Ministry will help promote the capacity of more than 3,000 health workers and ethnic minority midwives in four provinces of Lao Cai, Dien Bien, Gia Lai and Kon Tum to master the practices in providing cares for mothers and newborn babies.