HCM CITY — A new partnership to benefit 45,000 Vietnamese factory workers has been launched between Marie Stopes International, the Pou Yuen Industrial Holdings Ltd and the Australian Government.

The partnership under the Australian Government’s Business Partnerships Platform combines social and business objectives to support a healthier, more productive female workforce in Việt Nam.

The initiative will be delivered at Pou Yuen’s on-site clinic at the Pou Yuen factory in HCM City.

With 95,000 workers, the majority of whom are women of reproductive age, there is a significant opportunity to better address the specific health needs of these workers, a press release on Wednesday said.

Marie Stopes International and Pou Yuen have been working in partnership since 2009 to provide sexual and reproductive health services to Pou Yuen’s female factory workers in three of the company’s factories in Việt Nam.

The availability of sexual and reproductive health services at the Pou Yuen factory clinic, particularly long-term methods of family planning, is limited, contributing to high rates of unplanned pregnancy among workers.

In 2015, nearly half of the female workers resigned after giving birth, affecting their economic independence and ability to financially provide for their families.

Along with the Australian Government, the partners seek to improve the quality and generate demand for the services.

The project is underpinned by an understanding that addressing women’s health can contribute to achieving long-term development objectives benefiting women, their families and their communities.

Australian Ambassador to Việt Nam Craig Chittick said: “When women have access to family planning, their own health and their family’s health is improved, offering opportunities for better education, increased employment and greater family savings.”

If successful, the demonstration project would be replicated in other factories and industrial settings both in Việt Nam and in the region, he added.

The Australian Government has committed AUD$500,000 (US$382,372) to the project, which will be delivered by the Australian Government aid programme’s private sector-linked Business Partnerships Platform.

Australia’s contribution will be matched by AUD$500,000 from Pou Yuen to directly support improved services provision at the clinic. — VNS