Hanoi (VNA) – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)has been working closely with relevant ministries and sectors to identify themost effective strategies to assist Vietnam in creating a safe and happyenvironment for mothers and children, including those in ethnic minority anddisadvantaged areas.

So said UNFPA Representative in Vietnam Naomi Kitahara in aninterview with the Vietnam News Agency during a trip to the northernmountainous province of Lai Chau from May 4 to 7.

Officials from the UNFPA, the Ministry of Health, and theMinistry of Planning and Investment surveyed maternal health care in some disadvantagedethnic minority areas of Lai Chau.

Pointing out two big challenges to maternal health care inethnic minority areas of Vietnam, Kitahara noted that ethnic minoritypeople mostly reside in remote areas, which hampers their access toreproductive and sexual health services, while their ethnic groups’ specialcultural and social conditions also make it difficult to provide guidance onand apply reproductive and sexual health care measures.

She underlined the need to increase communications andguidance in ethnic minority languages, adding that medical workers and midwivesshould also speak local languages to give explanation.

The UNFPA always exerts efforts to ensure that there won’t bemore maternal deaths, all demand for family planning is met, and gender-based violenceand harmful practices are prevented.

It has been working closely with the Ministry of Health, theMinistry of Planning and Investment, and other ministries and sectors toidentify the most effective strategies to assist Vietnam, with a focus onvulnerable groups like ethnic minority people, migrants, the youth, and thedisabled, the UNFPA Representative said.

In efforts to support ethnic minority people, some of themain strategies suggested by the UNFPA include improving health workers’capacity so that they are capable of dealing with different obstetric problemsand diseases, and capitalising on online communications platforms andtele-guidance systems to overcome difficulties caused by special cultural andsocial conditions, the language barrier, and geographical distance, accordingto Kitahara.

Highlighting the importance of village-based midwives andcommunications to improve public awareness and behaviour, she also noted thatthe COVID-19 pandemic is causing major challenges when expectant mothers tendto delay or skip pregnancy tests, posing high risks during their pregnancy.

She stressed the necessity to create a safe environment forexpectant mothers so that they can feel safe when visiting healthcareestablishments, and to provide protective equipment for medical workers tosafely perform their duties.

By combining those strategies, the UNFPA is confident ofhelping reduce the maternal mortality, its representative added./.