Project profile — Strengthening Health Systems and Improving Nutrition in Nepal and Vietnam

• Canada (1.50%)
• Vietnam (51.25%)
• Nepal (47.25%)

• Health, General: Health policy and administrative management (12110) (27.00%)
• Basic nutrition:
Basic nutrition (12240) (44.00%)
Health education (12261) (19.00%)
Health personnel development (12281) (4.00%)
• Unallocated/ Unspecified: Promotion of development awareness (99820) (6.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (principal objective)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

This project works in collaboration with local governments in Nepal and Vietnam to make necessary health services and interventions accessible to children less than two years of age and their mothers. Research has identified that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life are critical for intellectual and physical development and lifelong health. Nepal and Vietnam have both made significant strides in reducing infant and maternal mortality and improving access to essential health care. However, inequality in terms of mortality and access to services between different regions and ethnic groups remains a challenge in both of these countries. This project addresses this inequality by working to improve the health care systems of remote regions (Banke district in Nepal) and ethnic minorities in the two countries (the Thai, H’Mong, Xinh Mun, Kho Mu and Khang of Vietnam). Project activities include: (1) improving health management capacity; (2) improving delivery of and access to quality health care and nutrition services; (3) promoting care-seeking; (4) improving nutrition; (5) engaging men and family members to reduce gender-related barriers; (6) providing capacity building to health management teams and health workers directly; (7) engaging and offering education to men and key family members on the importance of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) and how they can support the health of women and children; and (8) increasing the awareness of Canadians in MNCH issues through public engagement initiatives. The project reach is a total of 38,418 direct beneficiaries in Nepal (18,056 women, 16,671 men and 3,691 children) and 20,611 in Vietnam (10,001 women, 9,172 men and 1,438 children). An additional 9,200 Canadians are reached through a public engagement component. This project is implemented in collaboration with the following HealthBridge Foundation of Canada local partners: The International Nepal Fellowship (INF) in Nepal who is implementing the project in the Banke district, located in the Mid-Western region and the Centre for Creative Initiatives for Health and Population (CCIHP) in Lai Chau province in the remote, mountainous North-West region of Vietnam. Both the Banke district and Lai Chau province are among the poorest areas in the two countries with high mortality rates and the least access to essential health services.

The expected outcomes for this project are: (1) improved utilization of essential health services by mothers, pregnant women, newborns and children under two years of age in targeted sites in Nepal and Vietnam; (2) increased consumption of nutritious foods and supplements by mothers, pregnant women, newborns and children under two years of age in targeted sites of Nepal and Vietnam; and (3) increased active involvement of the Canadian public, researchers and practitioners in maternal, newborn and child health initiatives.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (November 2020) include: (1) the capacity of health services staff in 6 facilities in Vietnam and 10 facilities in Nepal to monitor and deliver gender sensitive health services was increased, as evidenced by 100% pass rate for effective use of tools for counselling, monitoring, communication and gender-disaggregated data, and reporting; (2) 102 (of which 26 were women) village health workers and 54 (all women) ethnic minority midwives working in remote areas of Vietnam, were trained to provide gender-response maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) care in their communities; and (3) 132 (all women) community health workers and 22 (all women) skilled birth attendants working in remote areas of Nepal were trained to provide gender-responsive MNCH care in their communities.

• Proactive disclosure