Vietnam 'could achieve maternal mortality target'

A new international report states that Vietnam is capable of meeting its UN Millennium Development Goals commitment to reduce maternal mortality by three-quarters in the 1990-2015 period.

The Far East Asian country's maternal mortality rate is set to drop to 0.58 per thousand by 2015, it is claimed, partly thanks to the introduction of safe motherhood and reproductive health programmes, reports VOV News.

In 1990, the ratio was 2.33 per thousand in 1990, while it had dropped to 1.6 in 1995 and 0.8 in 2005, according to figures published by the United Nations Population Fund and the World Health Organisation.

However, the report says Vietnam still needs to do plenty of work to address inequity in the provision of health services between the regions.

The country has been urged promote reproductive health care and increase access to the services that provide it, while improving education on reproductive health and family planning.

Last week, the World Health Organisation reported that global maternal mortality rates have not improved since 1990.