Students in Hue race for child survival

200 students of Hue University took part in a marathon to generate public support and influence policy makers for further investment in a quality health care system for children in Vietnam.

The race organised by save the Children and Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy yesterday in Hue is part of Save the Children EVERYONE campaign aiming to reduce the motality rate by children under 5 by 2/3 by 2015.

“Vietnam has made tremendous progress in the past two decades, reducing preventable child deaths by 55 per cent since 1990,” said Gunnar Andersen, country director for Save the Children in Vietnam. “However, nearly 50 children still die each day within their first month of life, many from preventable causes. These children deserve the access to health services and care they need to survive.”

The student runners have joined over 60,000 children in 67 countries around the world in a bit in a bid to beat the world marathon (42.195km) record of 2h3m38s set by Kenya’s Patrick Makau.
Pham Thi Yen Nhi from the Physical College reached the termination at 12m/3,7km wining the first prize for her female team. Nguyen Viet Tai also from Physical College led the male team at 10m15s/5.5km.

In Vietnam, the children called on governments, policy makers and social organisations to work together to ensure a better health care system for children and mothers, especially those from rural and remote communities, to make available low-cost medicine, basic healthcare facilities and skilled health workers to them.

Save the Children has been supporting the Ministry of Health to adapt, test, and revise maternal and newborn care training manuals for pre-service training of health workers. A plan for pre-service training improvement has been drawn up, and the Hue Medical School of Hue University will partner with Save the Children to call for the approval of this plan by the Science and Training Department and the Maternal and Child Health Department of the Ministry of Health.

Save the Children works to improve the health and nutrition status of mothers and children in Vietnam, especially disadvantaged families living in the most rural and remote areas. The children’s aid agency provides training to health workers in order for them to better diagnose childhood illnesses, support pregnant women, and provide post-natal care and nutritional advise for new mothers.