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ADB Assistance for Healthcare Improvement and Higher Education Development Signed

HA NOI, VIET NAM (16 December 2008) – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Viet Nam today signed a $72 million loan to improve health care services in eight provinces in south central coastal region, and a $1 million technical assistance grant to help boost Viet Nam’s higher education sector improvement to promote the country’s “knowledge-led” development.

State Bank of Viet Nam's Governor Nguyen Van Giau represented the Government, and ADB Country Director for Viet Nam Ayumi Konishi represented the ADB at the signing ceremony.

The Health Care in the South Central Coast Region Project will help improve the health system and the health status of the population, in particular the poor, women and children, and ethnic groups in Da Nang City, and the provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan. The project will help upgrade 20 hospitals and five district preventive medicine centers equipped with new facilities for water, sanitation, and medical waste management systems. Support will be given to build a training school for nurses and paramedics, village health workers, and for the improvements in basic health care for 423 remote communes.

"Although Viet Nam has achieved most health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), such a success is not enjoyed by everyone in this country," said Mr. Ayumi Konishi at the signing ceremony. "Poor rural areas, particularly those with significant ethnic minority populations, continue to lag significantly, and in those areas, health status is far below MDGs."

"20% of the total population of 9 million in these areas are the specific target of this project as they are not currently covered under appropriate health services," Mr. Konishi added.

The other Project signed today will provide $1 million technical assistance grant from the ADB's Japan Special Fund, funded by the Government of Japan. The grant will help undertake a feasibility study that will lay a ground for an ADB loan to build two model research universities with a focus on science and technology in the cities of Ha Noi and Da Nang.

The project will also help design a policy and regulatory framework for such future research universities, in line with the Government’s aim of making higher education more innovative, internationally competitive, and relevant to labor market needs.

"These new model research universities with strengthened university-industry linkages are expected to become core scientific centers and will play a critical role in research and teaching, leading to enhanced research and development capacity for the country’s future," said Mr. Konishi. "To realize the vision of becoming an industrialized country by 2020, Viet Nam needs to accelerate building its knowledge and technological capacity."

Under the current Socio-Economic Development Plan, the Government is committed to promoting knowledge-led development and fostering a skilled population with strong knowledge and a technological basis that will position the country well for expansion and deeper integration with the global economy.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through pro-poor sustainable economic growth, social development, and good governance. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2007, it approved $10.1 billion of loans, $673 million of grant projects, and technical assistance amounting to $243 million.

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