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| VNG Corporation donates VNĐ 1.3 billion ($55,687) to Newborns Vietnam via the month-long UPRACE community run. — Photo Courtesy of VNG Corporation |
Viet Nam News
HCM CITY — A unique charity run raised VNĐ3.5 billion (US $150,000) to combat neonatal mortality and strengthen newborn care.
Rather than racing in person, competitors recorded their runs with Strava, a smartphone-based fitness app.
Organised by NGO Newborns Vietnam and VNG IT Corporation, the month-long community event, titled UPRACE, attracted more than 32,000 runners including Vietnamese living overseas.
Their performances were transferred from Strava to UPRACE.vn through a validation and conversion process, which valued every kilometre as a VNĐ1,000 donation to Newborns Vietnam.
Competitors ran a total of 1.3 million kilometers.
The event attracted donors like Hanoi Amsterdam Alumni, ceramic maker Minh Long, Topica Education and CMC Corporation. VNG Corporation donated VNĐ1.3 billion and Techcombank gave VNĐ1 billion.
The UN’s Child Mortality Estimation said the neonatal mortality rate in Việt Nam was 1.14 per cent in 2015.
There are no advanced neonatal care facilities in the country, and infant mortality and long-term disability still occur in high-end hospitals.
Newborns Vietnam is trying to restructure neonatal care to ensure newborns get appropriate care from trained healthcare workers at critical moments. — VNS
