Maternal and child health project launched in Da Nang

The two-year ‘Household to Hospital Continuum of Care’ project will be funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies and implemented by regional public health departments from Da Nang City and Khanh Hoa province.

Improving the health of the population is a key development priority of the government, with the project designed to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates among poor and disadvantaged communities.

Viet Nam’s progress in reducing the mortality rate has seen some success over recent years, however figures reveal that infant deaths during labour are still alarmingly high at 165 per 100,000 deliveries. Infant mortality during the first month of life currently accounts for almost half of all deaths among children under the age of five.

It is estimated that approximately 39,000 newborns die each year in Viet Nam, of which many could be averted through simple improvements in the health care system.