Vietnamese Life Expectancy Increases
Vietnamese life expectancy is reportedly now at 71.3, three years longer than it was five years ago, according to the Ministry of Health.
The improved healthcare system is a major reason behind the increase in life expectancy, the ministry said.
At present, all communes and wards have healthcare workers, with 65 percent of the clinics being run by doctors. The number of clinics reached 1,024 last year, while 70 per cent of cities and provinces have set up hospitals for traditional medicines, the ministry added.
The healthcare sector's efforts to prevent and combat fatal diseases have sharply reduced the rate of affected people, the ministry said, citing the malaria program, which has slashed the number of affected people and deaths by 44 per cent and 83.7 per cent respectively, since 2000.
Every year, more than 90 percent of children under 1 are fully vaccinated for major diseases, assisting in a 10-fold decrease in the number of children infected with vaccine preventable deadly diseases.
Vietnam has also been lauded by the international community for its prenatal and postnatal healthcare.
Vietnam News Agency, July 18, 2005
