Choose handwashing, choose health!

The practice of handwashing with soap tops the international hygiene agenda on October 15, with the celebration of Global Handwashing Day (GHWD). Since its inception in 2008 – which was designated as the International Year of Sanitation by the UN General Assembly – Global Handwashing Day has been echoing and reinforcing the call for improved hygiene practices worldwide.

Good hygiene practices must become a habit, which requires choosing to perform them on a regular basis. People should choose handwashing not only on Global Handwashing Day, but every day. Photo: UNICEF Viet Nam\2014\Truong Viet Hung

UNICEF joint mission reaches out to Dien Bien’s ethnic minority children

Dien Bien is the second poorest province in the country with child poverty rates at 64 percent, twice as high as the national average. Since 2012, UNICEF has focused its activities in Dien Bien to address high rates of maternal and infant mortality, malnutrition and stunting and poor access to education, water and sanitation. With support from the Embassy of Luxembourg for 2012-2016, UNICEF is implementing core health, education, sanitation and protection services that reach out to vulnerable ethnic minority children to improve their overall welfare. This week, UNICEF Representative Mr Youssouf Abdel Jelil, Vice Minister of Health Dr Nguyen Viet Tien and Ms Aurelie Klein from the Luxembourg Embassy in Viet Nam visited remote communes in Dien Bien province to monitor progress of UNICEF-led activities.

New UNICEF Representative in Viet Nam

Ha Noi, 27 August 2014 – The new UNICEF Representative in Viet Nam, Mr Youssouf Abdel-Jelil, today, presented his credentials to Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ha Kim Ngoc.

“UNICEF is known in every Vietnamese family as a champion of children’s rights,” stated Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ha Kim Ngoc.  “Protecting and promoting the rights of the child is a top priority for Viet Nam. While much progress has been made over the years, more needs to be done to close the gap between the ratio of poor children and to ensure they have better access to health care, education and clean water,” he noted. 

Mr Youssouf Abdel-Jelil, newly appointed representative of UNICEF in Viet Nam, presented his credentials to Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ha Kim Ngoc

Insights and perspectives on the sanitation crisis in Viet Nam

The Unilever Foundation Ambassador Challenge, launched in 2012, is a company-wide initiative designed to build employees’ awareness and engagement with the Unilever Foundation and its five global partners. The selected employees are given the opportunity to see the positive social impact that support from the Foundation is having on people’s lives and share their insights and perspectives.

Viet Nam responds to UNICEF’s global call with a national campaign to end violence against children

In Viet Nam, the first day of summer, 1st June, traditionally marks the national Children’s Day and the start of the national Month of Action for Children.

This year, together with the start of the Month of Action for Children, the Government of Viet Nam launched a national campaign to end violence against children in response to UNICEF’s global call for action to #ENDviolence against children.