The union aims to raise awareness in the community, especially among women, about reproductive and sexual health care and domestic violence by publishing documents and leaflets.

Entitled "Strengthening the ability of the National Committee for Population, Family and Children and relevant offices to implement the second phase of the 2001-10 Population Strategy," the project also involves the Youth League and the Farmers' Association.

It will focus on technical assistance and skills of grassroots medical and population workers, said Le Dinh Phuong, director of the project.

Its long-term goals are to improve the living conditions of Vietnamese people through enhancing health care services as well as approaches to them, and to speed up the implementation of other policies and programmes on population and poverty elimination.

The project will be implemented in the northern provinces of Ha Giang, Hoa Binh and Phu Tho, the central provinces of Ninh Thuan and Kon Tum, and the southern provinces of Tien Giang and Ben Tre.