Community care to benefit 15,000 more children annually

HA NOI — The community-based health care and educational allowance will now benefit an additional 15,000 underprivileged Vietnamese children each year until 2010.

The expansion is part of Prime Minister Phan Van Khai’s 2005-10 project to provide community-based health care to extremely impoverished children.

Orphans, abandoned and disabled children, victims of Agent Orange/Dioxins and those infected with HIV/AIDS will benefit, receiving help with integrating into their communities, stabilising their lives and asserting their rights.

It also aims to bridge the gap in children’s quality of living by mobilising all social sources and promoting community-based child care.

Under the project, about 65 per cent of underprivileged children will receive health care and education by 2010.

About 70 per cent of seriously disabled children will be rehabilitated and 1,000 orphans will be cared for and educated in ten pilot family-based social sponsorship centres paid for by the Government.

Viet Nam News, March 30, 2005