The Japanese Government will to provide 455,612 USD in non-refundable aid to the second phase of a maternal and infant health care project in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien.

The project’s contract, signed on February 10 in Hanoi, allows the fund to be provided through the Japanese non-governmental organisation World Vision Japan.

It will help upgrade infrastructure to healthcare centres in the locality, enhancing locals’ access to free healthcare services and decreasing the fatality rates of mothers and infants.

Cooperation between the Japanese Government and Dien Bien has occurred since 2012, initially in Muong Cha and Tuan Giao districts – home to a high proportion of poor households.

Currently residents in many localities in Dien Bien, mostly from ethnic minority groups, have faced difficulties in accessing healthcare services due to unqualified medical stations.

World Vision Japan has been involved in development assistance activities in many countries across the world. In Vietnam , it has engaged in many projects in education and support for the disabled.-VNA