Program Data Sheet
440-007

USAID PROGRAM: Vietnam
PROGRAM TITLE: Assistance to Vulnerable Groups (Pillars: Global Health; Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance)
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE AND NUMBER: Improved Access to Services for Selected Vulnerable Groups, 440-007
STATUS: Continuing
PLANNED FY 2002 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $1,500,000 DA; $4,106,000 CSH
UNOBLIGATED PRIOR YEAR FUNDS AND FUNDING SOURCE: $86,000 DA; $2,241,000 CSD
PROPOSED FY 2003 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $5,506,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1991      ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2005

Summary: The overall goals of family health program assistance in Vietnam are to—

• prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS;
• assist in the development of opportunities for displaced children and orphans; and
• initiate safe motherhood programs to reduce maternal and infant mortality.

Inputs, Outputs, and Activities: USAID has focused on improving maternal and child health in Vietnam through its cooperating agency, NGO Networks for Health. In response to HIV infections in Vietnam, Family Health International established a country office in Hanoi in 1999 and began implementing activities in December of that year, funded by the Asia and Near East Bureau’s Regional HIV program. The program has begun work in four provinces. In 1992, the Displaced Children and Orphans Fund (DCOF) began providing support for Vietnam’s vulnerable children. In 1997, the DCOF launched a new initiative to address the visible gap in non-institutional services for children with disabilities. Coupled with USAID's Leahy War Victims Fund support in Vietnam, DCOF assists children with disabilities to function more independently.

FY 2002 Program: Maternal and Child Health: USAID will support the maternal health program to increase utilization of safe motherhood services. Training of district health personnel in prenatal and postpartum care, essential obstetric care, as well as supervision and management will improve skills and quality of care. Gender equity and improving women’s role in decision-making will be a part of the behavior change program; and community mobilization will aim to increase utilization of tetanus toxoid immunization and of skilled birth attendants.

HIV/AIDS: USAID will help address the spread of HIV/AIDS in Vietnam. Funds will be used to improve HIV surveillance and expand prevention activities to additional at-risk populations by strengthening training, education, policy, and advocacy and condom social marketing for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and related sexually transmitted diseases. Behavioral surveillance will monitor behavioral trends among populations at risk of HIV/AIDS, especially among high-risk groups and among mobile and migrant populations. To assess the risk of HIV/AIDS expansion to the general population, studies will investigate links between persons who do not engage in high-risk behavior and men having sex with other men (MSM), MSM who are also having sex with women, and injecting drug users.

Displaced Children and Orphans: FY 2003 funding will be used to support partnership grants initiated in 1998 to comprehensive array of services to children and adolescents with disabilities, including education and vocational training, and the training of parents in appropriate interventions.

Planned FY 2003 Program: HIV/AIDS: In FY 2002, an assessment of the HIV/AIDS situation in Vietnam will be conducted and opportunities for USAID investment will be explored. This information will be used to develop an HIV program framework for Vietnam that will guide FY 2003 funding. Displaced Children and Orphans: DCOF funding will be used to support partnership grants initiated in 1998. Maternal and Child Health: At this time, USAID does not plan on funding maternal and child health activities in Vietnam in FY 2003.

Performance and Results: Maternal and Child Health: USAID has implemented safe motherhood training programs; established learning resource centers; implemented behavior change and communication programs to promote safe motherhood practices among women; established the White Ribbon Alliance, a network that advocates safe motherhood; and carried out a study to determine ways to improve postpartum care.

HIV/AIDS: In support of objectives to improve disease monitoring and expand prevention services, past HIV activities in Vietnam have resulted in increased condom sales, increased HIV/AIDS awareness through mass media communications, and completion of a behavioral surveillance survey that included high-risk populations. These efforts have resulted in significant progress in educating and providing prevention options for specific populations who are at risk from HIV infection while visiting neighboring countries.

Displaced Children and Orphans: An initial pilot project in inclusive education, in addition to showing social and academic gains, clearly illustrated that mainstreaming children with disabilities provided the Vietnamese government with a cost savings of nearly 86%: $58 per annum versus $400 in institutional-based settings. As result of this pilot, as well as DCOF-supported development of local infrastructures for inclusive education and improved quality of teaching for all students, the Vietnamese Ministry of Education has adopted inclusive education as part of its national education strategy. Over 413,000 children have been screened for hearing and assessed for hearing and deafness impairments. Over 850 teachers and officials have been trained to assist hearing impaired and deaf children and their families. Vietnams first unified sign language dictionary will be completed shortly. Ninety percent of adolescents with disabilities who have completed an informal vocational rehabilitation program remain gainfully employed.

Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: Maternal and Child Health: Save the Children, CARE, ADRA, Childreach/Plan International, PATH. HIV/AIDS: Family Health International, Population Services International, DKT, The Futures Group International. Displaced Children and Orphans: Catholic Relief Services, Pearl S. Buck Foundation, World Concern Development Organization, and World Vision.

US Financing in Thousands of Dollars