Fetal dopplers provided by UNFPA. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Việt Nam held a ceremony on Friday to hand over additional medical equipment to Việt Nam to ensure the continuous delivery of quality sexual and reproductive health services in provinces affected by floods and landslides.

To date, a total of 1,071 foetal heart monitors worth US$130,000 have been provided by the UNFPA to help protect the lives of Vietnamese pregnant women.

The medical devices are being distributed to commune medical centres and district hospitals in central and Central Highlands localities.

Naomi Kitahara, Chief Representative of UNFPA in Việt Nam, said the medical equipment and supplies will complement the efforts of the Vietnamese Government in responding to natural disasters and ensuring that essential services for pregnant women, new-borns and children, especially migrant workers and ethnic minorities, are not disrupted.

Director of the Maternal and Child Health Department under the Health Ministry Nguyễn Đức Vinh appreciated the UNFPA’s assistance, and affirmed that protecting all people’s health is the top priority of the Vietnamese Government, particularly amid natural disasters.

Coastal areas in central Việt Nam suffered record floods with long-lasting downpours and continuous storms from October 2020, leaving 200 dead. At least 7.7 million locals in the region, including 92,075 pregnant women, have been affected.

UNFPA is working to ensure that the supply of modern contraceptives and reproductive health commodities is maintained and that midwives and other health personnel have the personal protective equipment they need to stay safe. Sexual and reproductive health is a human right. UNFPA calls upon its partners to support our COVID-19 response to procure and deliver essential supplies for people who are most at risk such as pregnant women and women at risk of gender-based violence.

UNFPA is the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, working towards a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. — VNS