Sexual Reproductive Health and Family Planning: Viet Nam's Priorities for post 2015 Sustainable Development Agenda

Participants of the workshop were representatives from MOH, health scientists, experts, policy makers and programmers from research institutes, government agencies at the national and sub-national levels as well as the United Nations organizations, the international and local NGOs in Viet Nam.

In Viet Nam, data from the population-based surveys indicates that the country has made very impressive progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including MDG 5a and 5b. The coverage of SRH services including integrating family planning has been expanded and quality of the services including safe-motherhood and newborn care has been improved. However, there remain disparities in mortality and morbidity between various regions and population groups, especially among ethnic minority groups.  Inequalities and disparities in access to quality reproductive health care are observed among women in various regions in Viet Nam, and one third of young people still face barriers in accessing SRH information and services they need. In addition, maternal deaths still occur in mountainous and hard-to-reach areas and sexually transmitted infections (including HIV), continue to be a challenge, indicating that more prevention efforts are needed.

Following are key priorities on SRH/FP beyond 2015 disseminated at the workshop:

1. Improve the quality of service delivery for regions where maternal mortality reached to low level,  and improve  service coverage and quality of services for  regions  where maternal death remain high. 

2. Collaborate with private telecommunication providers to actively provide information to adolescents and unmarried young people; and improve partnership between public and private facilities to provide friendly services and contraceptive options to them; develop specific SRH policies and strengthen multi-sectoral cooperation mechanisms on ASRH, and improve the participation of A/UYP in developing, implementing, and supervising SRH services and interventions.

3. Improve the right-based approach in the provision of FP services, develop national standards for a quality assurance system on contraceptives, in compliance with international standards, develop policies to support the participation of the private sector and non-governmental in providing contraceptives and FP services; expand and improve financing mechanisms for FP services to ensure quality assurance and competitive prices and diversify contraceptives.

4. Develop national comprehensive strategies and policies on prevention and control of reproductive cancers, develop policies and financial mechanisms to improve the allocation of resources and the integration of prevention and control programs on reproductive cancers into the national program on non-communicable diseases, the school-based health program and improve communication to raise public awareness on reproductive cancers. 

5. Strengthen the health system, improve the linkages and integration of HIV and SRH/FP into policies, programs and service delivery at all levels, improve culturally appropriate policies and interventions, ensure the quality of SRH/FP services for client satisfaction.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Astrid Bant, UNFPA Representative in Viet Nam said: "In addressing the needs of vulnerable populations, the priorities should focus on policies and interventions that help reduce inequities in SRH among populations such as ethnic minorities, migrants, young people and those who are living in difficult-to-reach regions. While designing policies and interventions, it is important to apply rights-based and cultural sensitive approaches, and to ensure that the policies and interventions are evidence-based".

At the conference, the Representatives of MOH and UNFPA in Viet Nam pledge their commitment to continue working together to promote universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, including family planning and to ensure no one is left behind.  Investing in universal access to reproductive health is a crucial investment in healthy societies and a more sustainable future.