Mothers and Newborns to Receive Better Heath Services in Mountainous Areas

Text: Nguyen Anh Vu
Photo: Le Thiem Xuan

Mothers and newborn babies will gain access to higher quality of relevant health services in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien as a part of a project which was recently signed by World Vision and Embassy of Japan in Vietnam.

Accordingly, local health workers and traditional birth attendants will attend trainings on maternal and newborn care in Tuan Giao and Muong Cha districts between 2013 and 2015. Meanwhile, mothers, pregnant women and caregivers, who are mostly ethnic minority groups, will learn to increase proper care for their infants at home.

The “Improving Maternal and Newborn Health in Dien Bien Province” project was signed by Mr. Hideo Suzuki, Minister of the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam and Ms. Maho Miura, Deputy President of World Vision Japan on November 30. World Vision Vietnam National Director Mr. Daniel Selvanayagam and other leaders also attended the signing ceremony. The project has the first-year fund of more than 750,000 US dollars.

With 40 percent of population living under the national poverty line, Dien Bien province is the third poorest among 58 provinces in Vietnam, according to official statistics. Poor health services due to the deprivation are one of main causes for high deaths of women in pregnancy or childbirth, and their babies in the province. Local authority reported that 39.7 in every 1,000 infant died in 2009 while the maternal mortality rate was 242 out of 1,000 cases.

Up to 60 percent of infant deaths are reported to be occurring within the neonatal period (28days after birth) in Vietnam, according to United Nations Population Fund. The fact strongly proves that the care provided during this period is vital to ensure child survival.

Meanwhile, the main causes of maternal deaths in Vietnam are hemorrhage during delivery, preeclampsia, and infection. Continuous support and care from pregnancy throughout postpartum period is important for ensuring maternal health.