The Ministry of Health and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)on April 23 launched Circular No. 7, which defines the criteria,responsibilities and duties of village-based health workers, includingethnic minority midwifes.
According to DeputyHealth Minister Nguyen Viet Tien, the maternal and infant fatality ratein mountainous areas is 3-4 times higher than those in the deltaregions. Over 50 percent of women in Lai Chau, Dien Bien and Lao Caiprovinces give birth at home.
Tien said healthworkers, especially those involved in maternity and infant care inmountainous and ethnic minority areas, are always in short supply.
Rough terrain, different customs and cultures, lack of equipment and appropriate policies hinder their work, he added.
Training village-based midwifes reduces the fatality rate of women and babies in mountainous and hard-to-reach regions.
The newly issued circular officially recognises ‘village-basedmidwife’ as a type of health worker at a communal level, entitled totraining and pay. It manifests the strong commitment of the VietnameseGovernment to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of minimisingmaternal and infant deaths.
About 1,300village-based midwives have received training since 1998. This labourforce, however, does not meet reality’s demands.
Atthe meeting, representatives from provinces shared experiences on howto train and use midwifes to improve the health of mothers and childrenin mountainous areas.
Accordingly, it is necessary to strengthen the healthcare system and equip health workers with midwifery skills.
UNFPA Representative Mandeep K. O’Biren said the model of trainingvillage-based health workers, including ethnic minority midwives, andtheir official roles in the system should be expanded to mountainous anddifficult areas.
By successfully carrying out thiswork, Vietnam can achieve the MDG on health in ethnic minoritygroups, both in rural and urban areas, she added./.
According to DeputyHealth Minister Nguyen Viet Tien, the maternal and infant fatality ratein mountainous areas is 3-4 times higher than those in the deltaregions. Over 50 percent of women in Lai Chau, Dien Bien and Lao Caiprovinces give birth at home.
Tien said healthworkers, especially those involved in maternity and infant care inmountainous and ethnic minority areas, are always in short supply.
Rough terrain, different customs and cultures, lack of equipment and appropriate policies hinder their work, he added.
Training village-based midwifes reduces the fatality rate of women and babies in mountainous and hard-to-reach regions.
The newly issued circular officially recognises ‘village-basedmidwife’ as a type of health worker at a communal level, entitled totraining and pay. It manifests the strong commitment of the VietnameseGovernment to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of minimisingmaternal and infant deaths.
About 1,300village-based midwives have received training since 1998. This labourforce, however, does not meet reality’s demands.
Atthe meeting, representatives from provinces shared experiences on howto train and use midwifes to improve the health of mothers and childrenin mountainous areas.
Accordingly, it is necessary to strengthen the healthcare system and equip health workers with midwifery skills.
UNFPA Representative Mandeep K. O’Biren said the model of trainingvillage-based health workers, including ethnic minority midwives, andtheir official roles in the system should be expanded to mountainous anddifficult areas.
By successfully carrying out thiswork, Vietnam can achieve the MDG on health in ethnic minoritygroups, both in rural and urban areas, she added./.
