Vietnam Praises NGO Contributions to Public Healthcare Service

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has praised non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for making practical contributions to public healthcare in Vietnam. Health Minister Nguyen Quoc Trieu gave the praise at the ministry’s first-ever meeting with representatives of NGOs operating in reproductive health, blindness and HIV/AIDS prevention, health education and humanitarian surgery in Hanoi on Oct.28. He thanked the NGOs’ previous assistance to Vietnam’s health sector and called for the organizations’ continued support for the country in preventing infectious diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS, and reproductive healthcare in the coming time.  NGOs’ health activities have increased by 10 times since 2003 and their total capital disbursement in 2008 was up $100 million, the Vietnam News Agency said Wednesday. Currently, Vietnam is home to around 130 international NGOs running a total of 450 projects in the health sector.