Atlantic Philanthropies (AP), the U.S. non-governmental organization (NGO), will fund $7 million for a project on building medical clinics in Vietnam’s central highlands province of Dak Lak by 2013. Under the agreement signed on Aug 24, the project totaling $13 million include $7 million from the U.S. organization and the rest from the province’s reciprocal capital. The project will focus on building 39 medical clinics; upgrading and expanding 119 others as well as providing essential medical devices for 184 health facilities. The project is aimed to raise the quality of primary healthcare systems, better medical services at grass-root levels, especially women, children, the poor and ethnic minority groups. By 2015, Dak Lak targets to have all communal medical clinics meeting the national standards.
In March, AP financed $2 million to improve healthcare for ethnic minority women and children in Dien Bien, Dak Lak and Yen Bai, aiming to reduce the infection and fatality rates of diseases among those in disadvantaged areas. (Nhan Dan Aug 25 p7, Tin Tuc Aug 25 p2, vietnamplus.vn Aug 24)
