A child gets vaccination. (Photo: VNA) Important data and analyses reflecting Vietnam’s achievements in implementing its development goals, especially those benefiting women and children, were detailed in a report released at a workshop in Hanoi on September 4.
A crowd of experts, researchers, analysers and representatives from international organisations in Vietnam attended the event, which was co-hosted by UNICEF and the General Statistics Office (GSO).
In his speech delivered at the workshop, GSO Deputy Director General Nguyen Van Lieu said the implementation of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) in Vietnam is a great opportunity to collect and disseminate data on women and children, stressing that it is necessary to include this data collection tool in Vietnam’s national survey schedule in order to regularly monitor and update the situation of women and children in the country.
UNICEF Representative in Vietnam Youssouf Abdel-Jelil said the survey contributes to data collection, an essential component of the Sustainable Development Goals.
It generates proven accurate, timely and accessible data, facilitating the search for positive solutions to limit inequality and promote sustainable development, he added.
According to the report, 20 children in every 1,000 live births die before their fifth birthday. In rural areas, under-five mortality is 22 per 1,000 live births. As many as 96.9 percent of children are breastfed, and the percentage of infants under six months of age who are exclusively breastfed has increased to 24.3 percent. However, just 26.5 percent of newborns are breastfed within the first hour after birth.
Also, only 75.6 percent of children aged 12-23 months are fully vaccinated before their first birthday, with newborn hepatitis vaccination standing at the lowest proportion of 78.5 percent.
Regarding clean water and environmental sanitation, 92 percent of households in Vietnam have access to hygienic water.
Data from the survey also shows that nearly 94 percent of Vietnamese women deliver their babies with the assistance of skilled birth attendants and more than 56 percent of women who gave birth in the last two years had access to basic antenatal care including blood pressure measuring and blood and urine tests.
Vietnam has successfully realised its goal of universalizing primary education with 97.9 percent of children at school age attending school.
During the workshop, participants also focused their discussions on enhancing links between the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals with emphasis on bringing equality to children.
They also proposed roadmaps to improve data collection capability, serving national policymaking.-VNA
