History of UNFPA in Vietnam  

30 years and counting

UNFPA has been active in Viet Nam since 1977, providing some USD 140 million in assistance. With our latest cycle of funding, from 2006 to 2010, we aim to improve people’s access to sexual and reproductive health services. We will assist Viet Nam in collecting high-quality data, and to prepare for the national 2009 census. We will also contribute to policy dialogue and help the government implement policies and programmes related to gender and to population and development issues.

We are also working in close collaboration with other United Nations System agencies resident in the country to ensure a more unified and stronger response to Viet Nam’s development needs as it approaches middle income status.

UNFPA’s first three rounds of assistance to Viet Nam, from 1978 to 1991, focused mainly on family planning and maternal and child health services in accordance with the goals and strategies adopted in the Government’s National Population Policy and Basic Needs Assessment Missions, conducted by UNFPA as well. Some 74% of total funding for the period was allocated to family planning and maternal and child health. UNFPA also supported the Government with its 1979 and 1989 population censuses.

During the fourth country programme, from 1992 to 1996, the focus of our programme was modified in line with the Programme of Action of the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994. Population strategies were revised based on Viet Nam’s needs and family planning became part of a more holistic sexual and reproductive health and rights approach.

Viet Nam’s 1993-2000 National Population Strategy defined UNFPA’s fifth country programme from 1997 to 2000. Focus was on strengthening the management and planning capacity of key partners including the Ministry of Health and the (former) Viet Nam Commission for Population, Families and Children (now the General Office for Population and Family Planning). During this time, Viet Nam’s contraceptive prevalence rate rose and the total fertility rate decreased.

UNFPA’s sixth round of assistance to Viet Nam for 2001 to 2005 reflected the government’s shift in its population activities from reduction of population growth to improving the quality of reproductive health. The focus was on aligning national policies with the international agreements to which Viet Nam is a signatory, and on improving the availability of quality reproductive health care at the primary health care level.