Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – A conference was held in Hanoi
on September 18 to discuss the enhancement of the role and initiatives of
social organisations in caring for public health.
Dr. Pham Van Tan, Vice President and Secretary General of the
Vietnam Union of Science-Technology Associations (VUSTA), said public health care
has received special attention from the Party and State.
However, there are still many problems in the sector,
including inadequate attention to the mobilisation of social resources and well
as the promotion of social organisations and the in the field,
Tan said.
He hoped the conference will help connect
and State agencies in caring for public health, while seeking solutions and
policy recommendations to enhance the engagement and contributions of social
organisations in the work.
Meanwhile, Do Thi Van, Director of the Non-governmental Organisations-Information Centre (NGO-IC)cited a VUSTA report showing the union’s member social
organisations mobilized about 1.23 trillion VND, including 213 non-Government
aided projects and more than 32 million USD in 11 official development
assistance (ODA) projects, mostly in public health and environmental protection
for ethnic minorities and vulnerable groups.
She said that despite their
strength in wide networks, experts and creativity, social associations have
faced difficulties in connections with each other and partners, as well as an incomplete
legal environment.
In the future, VUSTA should
strengthen its role in connecting and promoting the associations’ engagement in
and environment projects, while giving recommendations to State
agencies on completing policies to ensure equality in accessing State funds.
Dao LanHuong from the World
Bank in Vietnam said the malnutrition ratio in Vietnam has reduced considerably
in the past two decades, but the ratio among ethnic minority groups is always
higher than those from the majority Kinh group.
She explained that ethnic
minority people accounted for 73 percent of the poor community in 2016, adding
that obstacles in language are the major difficulty in connecting public health
service providers with ethnic minorities.
She stressed the need to
define nutrition for ethnic minorities as a priority.
At the conference, held by
VUSTA and NGO-IC, participants also shared effective models and initiatives in
improving public health and environment, as well as ways to enhance efficiency
of social organisations in the field./.
Source: VietnamPlus
