UNFPA presents more medical supplies to Vietnam

Beneficiaries also include medical staff, voluntary caregivers, and the community COVID-19 prevention task forces for the protection of pregnant women, older persons, and women and girls at risk of domestic violence.

Worth more than US$450,000, UNFPA’s medical supplies aim to ensure the right and safety of vulnerable population groups in Vietnam and a continuous delivery of quality services on sexual and reproductive health, elderly care, and gender-based violence amid COVID-19.

Globally, COVID-19 has been catastrophic for women and girls who are already facing a pandemic of violence and discrimination: One in three women experiences physical or sexual violence in her lifetime; one in five girls is married before the age of 18; and hundreds of millions of women and adolescent girls want to avoid pregnancy, yet lack access to reliable, modern methods of family planning.

In Vietnam, 62.9% women experienced one or more forms of violence in their lifetime, and during COVID-19, it seems to have worsened as the number of calls for help doubled in UNFPA supported hotline for domestic violence.

Current data confirm Vietnam’s COVID-19 patient tally of nearly 1.4 million and the death toll of more than 27,000 or 2% of the national caseload. And many of the COVID-19 affected are older persons. It is clear that the fatality rate for older persons is higher, and for those over 80, it is even five times higher than the global average.

Pregnancies and childbirth do not stop in pandemics, conflicts or disasters. The UNFPA’s modelling study conducted in 2020 revealed that COVID-19 would increase maternal mortality by 44%-65%, which if confirmed would indicate a reversal of developmental gains that Vietnam has achieved over the last 10 years, and it would be a threat to achieve the targets of SDG 3.

The UNFPA Representative for Vietnam, Naomi Kitahata, confirms that prioritizing the needs of the vulnerable population groups such as pregnant women, older persons, women and adolescent girls at risk of violence is a human rights imperative.

“UNFPA’s emergency support today demonstrates our commitments to be fully with the Government of Vietnam and provide life-saving services for sexual and reproductive health, social protection, and gender-based violence prevention and response. UNFPA is working towards achieving a Vietnam with zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning, and zero gender-based violence and other harmful practices for women and girls,” says Naomi Kitahata.