Ha Noi, 13 May 2015 - A competition on "Developing Initiatives on Promoting Access to SRH Information and Services for Vietnamese youth and adolescents" was launched today in Ha Noi by the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union via Central Center for Youth and Adolescents (CCYA) with technical support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Center for Initiates on Health and Population (CIHP). The competition was launched in order to call for development of innovative and practical initiatives promoting access to Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) information and services in Viet Nam.

Addressing at the launching event, Mr Nguyen Manh Dung, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union stressed that: “This is a great opportunity for the Youth Union's members, young people and students to propose their creative initiatives promoting access to SRH information and services for adolescents and youth. This is also a chance for youth to contribute to creating a better life for their community, particularly in the SRH field”.

Data from the 2014 Inter-Census Population Survey shows that Viet Nam has entered a "golden population" period, recording the highest proportion of young people in Viet Nam’s history. Young people between the ages of 10 to 29 years old now represent nearly one third of the total population. This "demographic window of opportunity" remains open until 2040, and presents Viet Nam with a one-time and unique opportunity in its history to make this golden period the driver for socio-economic prosperity, by ensuring that every young person is educated and supported to achieve his or her full potential.

Young people have played a significant role in Viet Nam's growth and they represent an increasingly large proportion of the labour force, both now and well into the future. Investing in the education and health, including sexual and reproductive health, of young people is of utmost importance to Viet Nam's productivity and development in the future.

However, young people still lack vital knowledge and life-skills to negotiate safe sex and consensual relationships, and face considerable barriers to accessing SRH services. Sexuality education for young people remains limited, particularly amongst those who are ethnic minorities, migrants or living in rural areas. As a consequence, young people are at risk of early and unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortion, and sexually transmitted infections including HIV.

"We need to implement new youth-friendly approaches that address young people’s SRH needs and increase their ability to make positive decisions about their sexual health. These approaches need to be founded on the knowledge that young people can make responsible, healthy decisions when they are well informed and have a supportive environment. The supportive environment means that SRH information and services pertaining to their specific needs and perspectives are easily available for them...” said Ms. Ritsu Nacken, UNFPA Representative a.i. in Viet Nam.

The competition targets Vietnamese individuals and youth groups between 16-30 years of age, and invites submissions of proposals from 13 May to 30 August 2015. The award ceremony will be held in the last week of September 2015.

The winners with highly innovative and feasible initiatives (first, second, third prizes) will be supported by the organizer and sponsors to improve their ideas into a full proposal and will receive up a fund up to USD2,000 for pilot implementation.

For further information about the contest, please see the attached contest regulations: Download