Every day, about 50 children die after birth in Vietnam.

According to Save the Children, child deaths have now fallen by 55% since 1990.

Pregnant women get medical examination at clinic 56, Central Maternity Hospital

Vietnam has made great progress in reducing child mortality over the past two decades. However, according to the organization, every day in Vietnam, up to 50 children still die in the first month of life from preventable causes. This shows that Vietnam will have to make more efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing the mortality rate of children under 5 years of age by two-thirds by 2015.

In order to raise public awareness of maternal and child health care and respond to the “Global Action for Child Life” Day (October 23) launched by Save the Children, 200 students from Hue University participated in a marathon organized by the Department of Maternal and Child Health and Hue University on the morning of October 20, in Hue City.

Students and young people from all over the world participated in the race to beat the record of 42.195km in 2h3”38’ set by Kenyan boy Patrick Makau. They carried messages to raise public awareness of maternal and child health care, and to encourage policymakers to have appropriate investment policies in maternal and child health care systems, especially in remote areas where ethnic minorities live.

“The first month of life is crucial for a child’s survival. Yet in too many places, newborns still die due to poor health facilities, poor quality services and a lack of skilled health workers,” said Gunnar Andersen, Save the Children’s director.

“Healthcare workers play a vital role in ensuring the health of children. They not only provide direct treatment but also provide appropriate advice to parents on health care and nutrition to ensure their children grow up healthy, both physically and mentally. Therefore, government investment in training is vital to ensure children receive the quality care they deserve,” Mr. Gunnar Andersen emphasized.

Save the Children is supporting medical universities across the country to revise and pilot the curriculum and clinical training programs on maternal and newborn health care. Currently, the implementation plan has been drafted. Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy is working with Hanoi Medical University, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, in cooperation with Save the Children to lobby ministries including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Training and other medical universities to agree and approve this plan.

Save the Children works to support the Vietnamese government in improving maternal and child health in a sustainable manner, with priority given to remote and isolated areas. Save the Children provides medical equipment, infrastructure upgrades and training for health workers at all levels, especially at the community level, to enable them to effectively examine, care for and treat mothers and children; at the same time, it communicates and consults to improve people's knowledge and practices in maternal and child health care and nutrition at the household level./.

According to VOV.VN -LH