Vietnam is one of the 10 countries worldwide that have made the greatest strides in saving lives of newborn babies over the past two decades, said the global charity organization Save the Children. The country brought down the newborn mortality rate by 48% between 1990 and 2011, according to the organization’s 14th annual State of the World’s Mothers report released on May 7. In the report that covers 176 countries, Vietnam ranks the 86th, after Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia in South East Asia, in terms of the best places for mothers, based on factors of mother’s health, education and economic status, and important child indicators such as health and nutrition. Meanwhile, Finland ranks the best place to be a mother while the Democratic Republic of Congo came in last. The report also has the first-ever Birth Day Risk Index, which lists the death rate for babies in their first day of life in 186 countries. One in 250 Vietnamese babies die on their first day of life, accounting for one-third of all newborn deaths. More than 17,000 babies in Vietnam still die within the first month of life and many deaths are preventable, said Tuan Doan, Interim Country Director for Save the Children in Vietnam. The agency called on Vietnamese leaders to invest in low-cost solutions to reduce the newborn mortality, including pediatric antibiotics to treat deadly infections and exclusive breastfeeding. The country was asked to improve its healthcare system so women in remote areas can get access to professional medical services and qualified doctors and to combat gender inequality and malnutrition. (vietnamplus.vn May 8, Nhan Dan – The People May 8)
