Social policy

In 2023, UNICEF Viet Nam worked with partners from the government in support of national priorities driving the care, the protection of children and women, towards achievement of the SDGs. UNICEF-supported programmes contributed to directly improving children’s lives and the situation of their families, and further reinforce the systems and gender…, The situation of children in 2023, Viet Nam has achieved significant milestones in driving comprehensive growth and development for children.  However, many are still at risk of being left behind. , Our impact, In 2023, with the incredible support of our partners, UNICEF made waves of change for Vietnamese children. Here's a sneak peek into the incredible milestones we achieved together, sparking smiles, dreams, and brighter futures across the country. , Health and Nutrition Health and Nutrition, UNICEF support to develop a national COVID-19 vaccine action plan for 2023 resulted in 8,131,709 children aged 5-17 years and 963,928 children under one-year-old vaccinated. To offset an acute national vaccine shortage, UNICEF procured and delivered to Viet Nam 676,300 doses of DTP-HepB-Hib vaccines. In a further boost to national vaccination…, Water, sanitation and hygiene Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Through UNICEF’s harnessing of innovative climate-resilient technology, Viet Nam’s first solar powered net-zero toilet was installed at a primary school in the Mekong Delta region as part of a unique public-private partnership. This is the first step towards rolling out this green energy sanitation solution in schools nationwide. UNICEF’s direct…, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, UNICEF supported development of guidelines to monitor and evaluate Viet Nam’s Disaster Risk Management plan, a national guideline for disaster preparedness drills focused on children and communities. It will also help assess implementation of international Disaster Risk Reduction frameworks. 63,659 children participated in the UNICEF-supported…, Education Education, UNICEF supported Government Education partners to implement competency-based learning from pre-school to upper secondary school benefiting 21 million children with improved social emotional learning, transferable and green skills, digital literacy and gender equality. Four million preschool age children nationwide (two million girls) benefited…, Child Protection Child Protection, UNICEF’s technical support to Government yielded critical improvements in legal documents to strengthen social work, child protection and child justice systems. This included an inter-agency regulation on responding to cases of violence and child sexual abuse, alongside circulars to create and enhance social worker positions in hospitals and…, Social Protection Social Protection, UNICEF continued to generate evidence and advocate for investments in child-related social policies – inclusive of children living in multi-dimensional poverty, with disabilities and ethnic minorities – as crucial drivers of Viet Nam's sustainable development. Quality UNICEF data and research informed Viet Nam’s social policy priorities during the…

Ha Noi, 5 December 2023 – With an increase in the prevalence of mental health challenges in children and adolescents, and the prevention of abuse and violence against women and children as a key priority in Viet Nam, UNICEF commended today the recent Government decisions that create social work and counselling positions in health and education…

Globally, social workers have a critical role in assisting criminal proceedings conducting authorities to provide tailored support to each child in contact with the justice system, may they be alleged offenders, victims, or witnesses. In Viet Nam, while social work is viewed as a profession and has been developed within the past two decades, the…

Entering the third year of the pandemic, children and families in Viet Nam have experienced multitudes of challenges in the face of ongoing and new global socio-economic, political, and environmental volatility. Understanding the extent to which families with children in Viet Nam are protected from, and resilient in the face of, large-scale crises…

Ha Noi, 31 st August 2022 - A consultation workshop was held today in Ha Noi organized by the Supreme People’s Court of Viet Nam and UNICEF with the support of the European Union Justice and Legal Empowerment Programme (EU JULE) to learn from the experience of countries that have adopted child justice laws. By sharing international and regional…

The feasibility analysis on the delivery of cash assistance for children in emergencies in Viet Nam was commissioned by UNICEF Viet Nam and FAO Viet Nam in close collaboration with the Social Protection Department, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA). The analysis was funded by the European Union and conducted as part of the…

COVID-19 has brought about an opportunity to push forward policy advocacy agenda for social protection. UNICEF has supported the Government of Viet Nam in evidence generation and dissemination in a timely manner to inform policy reform processes to make the social protection system more shock-responsive and child-friendly. This two- pager…

The Challenge, Despite advances in socio-economic development across communities in Viet Nam, a significant number of families, women and children have been left behind. Efforts to reduce monetary poverty have been successful, however, it has not led to a decrease in vulnerabilities. These issues are particularly acute for children, with child rights not falling…, Resources, Despite their remoteness in the northern hills of Viet Nam, the children of the Kim Dong lower secondary school are very much aware of their rights. Not only knowing their rights but also able to express them as in the life-skill posters class., The Solution, UNICEF is helping to reduce the multiple vulnerabilities of children and ensure they are safe, healthy, ready to learn and thrive by influencing the national legal and policy agenda on children’s rights as well as strengthening government systems for the realization of children’s rights. “UNICEF is working to be a transformative force in the lives…

The Challenge, While Viet Nam has made impressive progress against poverty in the past two decades, groups of the population remain at risk. One-in-five children, approximately 5.5 million nationwide, still experience at least two deprivations in education, health, nutrition, shelter, water and sanitation or social inclusion. Higher incidences of child poverty…, Resources, The Solution, UNICEF is working closely with the government to improve transparency, efficiency and equity in budget allocation and spending for children. This means strengthening ministerial capacity in public finance management through prioritizing child rights in budget allocation and utilization in key socio-economic development and sectoral plans at…

The Challenge, Viet Nam aspires to an inclusive social protection system relevant to its lower middle-income status and to better realize basic human rights. However, the current social protection system is fragmented, with limited coverage and an inadequate range of benefits neither progressive nor child sensitive. As a result, the system is unable to address…, Resources, According to development reports, Kinh people account for over 86% of Viet Nam's population with poverty rate recorded at 8.5%. People of Ethnic Minorities account for less than 15% of the total population, but half of them are living in poverty. For every 10 children of ethnic minorities, eight are deprived of basic needs, and most of them are…, The Solution, To address multi-dimensional child poverty and improve the lives of children, UNICEF is supporting the government to develop a child-sensitive social protection system. Such a system will mitigate the impacts of poverty, support families in their childcare role and enhance access to basic services, such as education and healthcare, for the poorest…

The Challenge, Rapid economic growth has transformed Viet Nam, bringing with it remarkable social achievements. Yet, this progress has been unequal. Ensuring that “no child is left behind” requires breakthrough solutions to fast-track progress towards inclusive and sustainable development for all. This means Viet Nam must find ways to ensure development benefits…, Resources, The Solution, UNICEF’s work in Viet Nam focusses on supporting the government to develop more effective and equitable social and economic policies to help realize the rights of all children. Through influencing the national legal and policy agenda, we will strengthen government systems for the realization of child rights, particularly through social protection…

UNICEF supported Gia Lai’s Department of Planning and Investment, Department of Health of Gia Lai province in undertaking Citizen Report Card (CRC), a social audit tool, in a survey on user satisfaction with healthcare services at commune level. The objective of this survey is to improve the quality of primary healthcare for the people, especially…